446 Part 4 Public Speaking
control and partial gun control is as distinct as night and day. Finally, elucidat-
ing examples present opportunities for audiences to distinguish examples from
contrasting examples by looking for a concept’s critical features—for instance,
demonstrating that the most important features of a right-handed person’s golf
swing are keeping the left arm straight and keeping the head still.Explaining the Big Picture
Sometimes an idea is difficult for an audience because its complexity makes its
main points—the “big picture”—hard to grasp. In this case, speakers should
use a quasi-scientific explanation. Just as scientists try to develop models of
the world, quasi-scientific explanations provide a model or picture of the key
dimensions of some phenomenon for a particular audience. These explanations
work particularly well for speakers presenting complex topics to laypeople, such
as how microchips work, the similarities and differences between levees and
dams, or how DNA molecules pass along genetic information. We heard a par-
ticularly good quasi-scientific speech explanation in which the speaker explained
how radar worked by comparing it to the way an echo works, except that it
involves radio waves rather than sound waves.❶ Kotb’s approach to
informing women about
sex is a far cry from the
often lighthearted and hu-
morous approaches used
by talk show hosts in the
United States. How might
her approach to informa-
tive speaking be perceived
in the United States?
❷ Imagine that you have
to give an informative
speech about a sexual
topic in front of your nurs-
ing class. How would you
approach the subject?
Would you handle it differ-
ently if you were speaking
in front of your parents?
Your religious community?
➌ Does gender play a role
in public speaking as well?
Would Kotb’s message be
as well received by her au-
dience if she were a man?Let’s Talk About Sex
Few subjects can make an audience as uncomfortable as sex. Religious be-
liefs, age, experience, and even politics inform not only people’s views about
sex but also the degree to which they are willing to discuss sexual matters
publicly. In many cases, for example, it is unthinkable for Muslims to discuss
sexual practices, especially with strangers or in public (El Ahl & Steinvorth,
2006). And in many villages in South Africa, sex is a taboo many women do
not—or are told they should not—discuss (le Roux, 2006). And even in cul-
tures without such restrictions, talking about sex is often considered impolite
and can make listeners feel embarrassed or uneasy. In diverse populations
like the United States, speakers—including health care providers, educators,
social workers, and policymakers—must be responsive to the sensitive na-
ture of sexual openness when they speak to audiences.
Some people are already learning how. One of these individuals is Heba
Kotb (Raman, 2007), whose weekly television program offers information on
sex to women throughout the Middle East. Kotb, who has a doctorate in human
sexuality, clinical sexology, and pastoral counseling and is a devout Muslim,
remains respectful of her audience’s—and her own—religious beliefs by framing
her discussion in a religious context, accompanying scientific information about
the body with explanations of how Islamic texts address the subject at hand. In-
deed, both medical experts and Islamic clerics participate in her show. She also
pays careful attention to nonverbal communication: she wears the traditional
Muslim headscarf and speaks in a serious tone and uses serious facial expres-
sions. Kotb’s sensitive approach, taking cultural taboos, norms, and beliefs into
account, seems to allow her to talk more freely about this once forbidden topic.THINK
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