Analyzing My Text's Cultural Setting

In this blog post I'll be analzying the cultural setting of my text, "Computer Science is for Everyone". Specifically I'll talk about when and where this text is published and how this affects the rhetoric of the text.

Screenshot from my computer, 10/4/2015

1. What values, ideas, norms, beliefs, even laws of the culture play an important role in the text?

This TEDx talk was given in the United States, specifically Seattle, Washington. This plays a key role in how the audience is likely to react to a speech on computer science education. In the United States, almost everyone goes through over a decade of education. The audience is likely to be very attentive towards suggestions for improving education. If the talk were given in a country where education is less engrained in society then the audience might not have been receptive to Partovi's ideas.

2. Does the text address these cultural values, belifes, etc., direclty (by directly mentioning and responding to them) or indirectly (by presenting a scenario or narrative that addresses them)?

The text indirectly addresses the audience's interest in education by giving examples of local students and their experiences with insufficient education. Partovi presents two children, one of which goes to a school miles from where the TEDx talk was given. The child, Rahel, goes to a school that just recently implemented computer science education. This concrete example, presented with a picture of the child, gives the audience a real connection to the ideas presented by Partovi.

3. What is the relationship of the text to the values, beliefs, etc.? Is it critical of these aspects of the culture? Is it supportive? Does it seek to modify these aspects of the culture in a certain way?

The text is an address of the beliefs and values of the audience, as well as the current state of our education system. At times, Partovi is critical of our education system and demands very specific changes to the system. However, Partovi also acknowledges the advances that our eduacation system has been able to make in implementing more computer science education. Partovi absolutely is aiming to modify the lack of computer science education in our society.