743 3p

Draft 1

The purpose of the “Women in Economics at Trinity College” brochure is to persuade undergraduate women to choose economics as their major, in an attempt to close the gender gap at the school. The brochure is meant to be handed out by the economics departments at undergraduate major-related events, such as the Annual Majors Fair in October. Additionally, the brochures can be located in the economics department offices for undergraduate females to take at their leisure. The medium of a brochure allows for the quick transfer of information in an easily-organized and visually appealing way. In the creation of this brochure, I utilized the rhetorical strategies of organization structure, questions and visuals to encourage undergraduate women to consider declaring economics as their major.

The brochure is broken up into four key parts in an attempt to create flawless reading experience on behalf of the audience. The first part is the cover, which states the purpose of the brochure, while the second part, when folded properly, is the inside flap. This features two key segments about what a degree in economics can lead to and why women should pursue a degree in economics. This is located on the inside flap because these are the most important pieces of information that the audience member should take away from the brochure, even if they do not read it in its entire. The paths that a woman can take with an economics degree are in a bullet point list, as this makes the material quicker to read, and given the medium of the brochure, one must assume that not much time will be spent with the document. The second segment of this flap about why women should pursue a degree in economics, is a very brief three sentences which relates the broad issue of the gender gap in the field to the program at the College, given this is what the audience member would care most about, being a member of the Trinity community. The third part of the brochure is the inside, which consists of three panels all pertaining to academics. The first is a list of the economics courses offered during this academic year, as a perspective economics major will likely be interested in knowing what topics they will have the opportunity to study. The second and third panels feature faculty profiles, with their contact information and a brief paragraph about their professional interests. There has been some research done about the importance of the presence of a female role model in an undergraduate’s decision to major in economics, but the evidence has been inconclusive. With that being said, there has been no evidence stating that the presence of female role models deters a woman from majoring in economics, which is why these panels are dedicated to showcasing some of the top professors at Trinity. In some instances, the faculty member’s tenure or graduate schools are listed, as this might appeal to the student’s sense of ethos by showing that these professors are well established at Trinity and well educated. The fourth part of the brochure is the back cover, which provides steps on how to declare the major. This is strategically placed on the back cover since it mirrors the fact that declaration is the last step in the major selection process. The list is concise, which might show to the audience members that declaring is not a difficult process and might entice them to do so.

Questions are another rhetorical device utilized in the brochure. These questions serve as headers throughout the panels, and this question-answer format was selected as it allows the audience member to pick and choose what questions they might have and read that given section. For example, if an undergraduate woman already knows what an economics degree can lead to and why a woman can major in economics, she can skip to the sections focused on the academics at Trinity, with just a quick glance at the headers. This style keeps the material easily digestible and get across all of the key information to persuade a woman to major in economics. The question on the cover states, “Are you a woman considering a major in economics?” This language is meant to let the audience know the purpose of the brochure is to inform the reader why women should major in economics. It appeals to the audience as it is speaking directly to them, by asking if they are a woman considering the degree.

Strategy 3: Visual Rhetoric (photos), fonts, colors, etc.

“Why did you make these choices? How do they appeal to your audience? How do they accomplish your purpose? “

· Cover photo- face of the “Women of the Summit” initiative

· Photos of the professor interacting with students- smiling, seem nice- appeal to sense of pathos

Conclusion