ABSTRACT
Sociological writing, like most of social science, is rhetorical in that it presents an argument; it is an effort to persuade. Rhetoric, like communication in general, is more than a onesided affair. As Kenneth Burke recognized many years ago and as literary theory has come to realize in recent years, reading is a relationship between text and reader. The American Occupational Structure announces its abstract character. 'Structure' is a conceptual term, a metaphor suggesting the solidity and persistence of a building. It is not the ordinary language of most Americans. The American Occupational Structure is aimed at a more technical audience than is Tally's Corner. The more dramatic language of ordinary readers implies that Tally's Corner draws a wider community than does The American Occupational Structure. The use of numerical forms and visual devices, such as charts, tables, and graphs, and in this case path coefficient models, serves additional functions beyond the analytical mechanism.
