WP1: Statement of Purpose

I want my audience to realize how lucky they are to have the family, friends, and job they have today. If all goes well, the audience will compare their lives to that of the shepherd in my primary photograph, and embrace their friends, family, and living conditions. If I fail, my audience will simply ignore me and continue living their lives, taking everything for granted.

The alignment and vectors of attention in my primary photograph both emphasize the relationship between the shepherd and his herding dog. The dog is sitting at the side of the herder, looking up to him as if waiting for his next command. This position reflects feelings of loyalty and respect, displaying the dog as a close companion. Despite this relationship shown in the photograph, the picture still feels somewhat lonely and depressing. This is most likely because the background is about as empty as backgrounds can be. The grassy hills seem to stretch past the horizon line, giving a feeling that this emptiness stretches on forever. This can also be supported by the audiences background knowledge of the sheep herding position.

Researching the historical and cultural context of this my primary photograph revealed to me Basque shepherding and sheep herding in general. One of the most prominent subjects mentioned in both of these contexts seemed to be the relationship between a shepherd and his herding dog. This relationship is the defining point of sheep herding and is said to require immense amounts of teamwork between the shepherd and the dog. I want the audience to compare this relationship to their own relationships with friends, noting that the dog symbolizes a loyal and respectful relationship. I also want my audience to closely observe the lifestyle of the shepherd. I'd assume that most people reading my post would be repulsed at the idea of living in solitude for years at a time. By comparing these two major aspects of sheep herding, I want the audience to see that even in one of the most lonely occupations of its time, strong friendships can still be found; here, in a more literal sense, dogs are called "man's best friend" for a reason.

Obviously, the main audience of my project is my professor and my classmates--if they so desire to read what I've written. Additional audiences might include sheep herding enthusiasts or maybe avid blog surfers. Because I'm writing this project as a learning experience for a college course, though, I need to instead imagine that I'm primarily writing to a larger audience that actually matches the purpose of my project. By writing for a purpose larger than receiving a good grade, my ideas will have much more meaning, and my audience can make a stronger connection with what they read. Thus, my primary audience is basically anyone feeling alone or out of touch with society, perhaps subconsciously rejecting close relationships with others. Of course, other audience members include anyone else on the internet who might chance upon my article via Google search or some other method.

Because my audience might include people that are knowledgeable of sheep herding, it might be a good idea to begin by admitting to the audience that I'm no expert in the area of sheep herding. This will help me to appear honest and respectful of the audience, contributing to ethos. Also, there may be a chance that some audience members prefer a life of solitude. Because of this, I need to show in my writing that I respect that decision and that I'm not trying to attack this life style. By taking into account these two audiences, I can appear more respectful and considerate, increasing the credibility of my blog post and my own credibility as a writer.