Critical evaluation of persuasive messages in Tshivenda

Date
2007-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A significant amount of communication that happens in people's lives is focused on sending persuasive messages. These are messages that are intended to have an influence on other people's beliefs, thinking, attitudes, perceptions and the general way they live. Persuasive messages in Tshivenda are also intended at getting the recipients take an action after receiving the message. However, the action from the side of the recipient may either be positive or negative. When it is negative, this indicates a challenge in terms of persuasion. When one says he or she has persuaded someone, it means the recipient did receive the message and act towards the goals of the message. Tshivenda communication, like other languages includes persuasive messages. Vhavenda people are very polite, hence persuasive people. They generally refrain from using forceful messages to achieve what they want. They therefore have a way of putting instructions and demands in an irresistible manner that is polite and respectful!. In most cases the older generations used to use myth and legends to get for example young people to do things in acceptable ways within the society without just putting the raw message in instructive way. To be persuasive, Vhavenda people use long speeches in a respectful and polite way to instruct others. These instructions embodied in persuasive messages that are presented as requests, suggestions, hopes and wishes statements. There is, however, no current research focusing on persuasive messages in Tshivenda. This thesis focuses on the critical evaluation of persuasive messages in Tshivenda. It shows how persuasive messages are created in Tshivenda, the effect of persuasive messages in Tshivenda including factors that have impact on persuasive messages in Tshivenda. In critically evaluating messages from the political speeches included here, it was realized that most of political speeches are about persuading people to change their perceptions towards the collective achievement on government goals. It was found in this study that politicians use long speeches which are suggestive in order to get support from the citizenry. They do not just communicate directly. They give preambles on the fact they want to put before people, suggesting what needs to be done.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Aansienlike hoeveelheid kommunikasie wat plaasvind in mens·e se lewens is gefokus op oorredende boodskappe. Hierdie boodskappe is kommunikasie wat ten doel het om ander mense se sieninge, denke, gesindhede en persepsies te be"lnvloed. Oorredende boodskappe in Tshivenda het ook ten doel dat die hoarders 'n aksie neem na ontvangs van die oorredende boodskap. Die aksie vanaf die kant van die ontvanger kan positief of negatief wees. Wanneer dit negatief is, dui dit 'n uitdaging aan in terme van oorreding. Wanneer 'n persoon se dat hy of sy iemand oorreed het, beteken dit dat die ontvanger die boodskap ontvang het, en opgetree het met betrekking tot die doelstellings van die oorredende boodskap. Tshivenda kommunikasie, soos ander tale, sluit oorredende boodskappe in. Die Vhavenda mense is baie beleefd, dus oorredend teenoor ander mense: hulle weerhou hulleself oor die algemeen daarvan om kragdadige kommunikasie te gebruik om te bereik wat hulle wil. Hulle het dus 'n besondere beleefde en respekvolle wyse waarop instruksies en eise gestel word. In oorredende kommunikasie het die ouer generasie dikwels mites en legendes gebruik om byvoorbeeld jongmense te oorreed om op aanvaarbare wyse op te tree, eerder as dat hulle boodskappe in 'n reguit bevelende wyse gee. In oorredende kommunikasie, gebruik Vhavenda mense lang toesprake op 'n respekvolle beleefde wyse om ander instruksies te gee. Hierdie instruksies word ingebed in oorredende boodskappe wat aangebied word as versoeke, voorstelle, hoop en wense. Daar bestaan egter geen resente navorsing binne 'n moderne teoretiese raamwerk wat fokus op oorredende boodskappe in Tshivenda nie. Hierdie tesis fokus op die kritiese evaluering van oorredende boodskappe in Tshivenda. Die tesis toon aan hoe oorredende boodskappe geskep word in Tshivenda, en die effek van oorredende boodskappe in Tshivenda, insluitende faktore wat 'n impak het op oorredende boodskappe in Tshivenda. In die kritiese evaluering van die Tshivenda politieke toesprake hier ingesluit, is dit duidelik dat die meeste politieke toesprake daaroor gaan om ander persone te oorreed om hulle persepsies te verander ten opsigte van die kollektiewe bereiking van regeringsdoelstelings. Dit is bevind in hierdie studie dat politici lang toesprake gebruik wat suggestief is ten einde ondersteuning te verkry van die burgers, eerder as dat hulle direk kommunikeer.
Description
Thesis (MA) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
Keywords
Persuasion (Rhetoric), Persuasion (Rhetoric) -- Political aspects, Speeches, addresses, etc, Venda language, Dissertations -- Venda language
Citation