[College - Argumentative Communication] Essay Prompt Help

[drizzleRomanceGirl]

I need to write an essay about a situation where I was involved in an argument in which one of the three (or more) of these three ethical stances were used (either by me or my partner) - a tyrannical arguer, a seductive arguer, or a peaceful arguer. I'm having trouble understanding a specific part of the following instructions:

"With an understanding of critical thinking and argumentative communication under your belts, it is essential to think about situations in which a person you were in an argument with may not have exercised critical thinking skills or possessed good approach and tact. Adversely, there can be situations in which we as the arguer may not do the same.

For this thought essay, describe a situation in which you or someone you know used one of the three ethical stances of communication (which are described in Wayne Brockriede's essay, Arguers as Lovers) and discuss the use (or lack thereof) of critical thinking in this argument transaction. Some of the following things to keep in mind when addressing this prompt:

1. Provide a context behind the situation that took place, analyze what happened, and identify which ethical stance was taken (it is possible that more than one stance can be adopted).

2. Was the use of the stance ethically appropriate or inappropriate? Provide a strong justification and context for how this stance was needed.

3. Looking back on this situation, would another ethical approach have sufficed? Why or why not?

4. Describe how critical thinking did or would have affected the outcome of this situation."

What does #1 mean by "provide a context behind the situation that took place"? Please give me specific examples of how to provide context behind the situation. Thank you in advance!