Power question: Bennet Boatyard

 

This text is an agreement which customers have to sign before hiring a boat from the company. The audience is people that want to hire a boat and the purpose is to get to them agree to the terms and conditions in order to let them take it out. The power exerted in this text is instrumental because they are authoritative due to the fact they can say whether the people take the boat or not. If they don’t sign then the company will keep the boat.
The first way power is exerted is through putting the terms and conditions in a chronological order with numbers rather than bullet points and then following it with the area to sign. By doing this the producer has exerted power because the receiver is forced to read it in that way and will in turn do so.  By following it with the place for the receiver to sign they’re also controlling the fact that they have to read the terms and conditions before signing, when they do this and eventually sign the producer will have exerted their power.
Another way they’re exerting power is through the form lexis used. The producer has used this because it is a legal document and they wanted to be taken seriously. The producer used words such as “negate” and “compliance” in order for the receiver to perceive the company as respectful and educated. You are more willing to obey someone who you respect and are more knowledgeable than you so in order for them to accept the terms and conditions they have done this. If the receiver reacts to this by understanding and agrees to comply then producer has exerted power.
The producer used the semantic field of not only boats but danger. The producer uses words such as ‘dark’ and ‘buoyancy aids’ in order for the receiver to be shocked and aware of how dangerous taking a boat out into the sea can be. By making them aware of this they’ll be more likely to understand that they need to follow the terms and conditions to ensure their safety. By signing the terms and conditions due to this the producer will have exerted its power.
The producer of this text has used imperative lexis. Words such as “must” have been used throughout the text to make the receiver of it understand that they’re not being asked to do something but being told they have to do so. By using these words the producer is more likely to get the receiver to sign and agree and if they do so then the power has been exerted.
Faulcalt’s theory that power is negotiable is supported by this text. The producer has the power because they’re presenting the terms and conditions to the receiver and if they don’t want to follow the producers rule then they will not be allowed to borrow the boat. The receiver however can retrieve the power back by not signing the form. This will change who has the power because they will not be doing what is asked of them and are fighting the power and as a result the power is therefore negotiable.
The producer has exerted power through graphiological features of the text, they have changed some words of their choice into bold whilst the body of the text is left normal. This has been done to put some emphasis on certain parts in order for the reader to pay more attention to them. One part they’ve done this to is “9am to 6pm” when informing the receiver of the hours they’re allowed to use the boat. By putting emphasis on this they’re also putting emphasis on the fact the boat must not be used outside of these hours. By doing this the power has been exerted to the receiver that this is not to be broken.
The producer has put a banner of information across the top of the text with their details on such as their name, phone number, address and email address. This has been done to make themselves seem more official and enables the receiver to contact them with any enquires or requesting more details. This exerts power because by making themselves seem more professional the receiver is more likely to sign because they will realise the terms and conditions are reasonable and necessary.