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last.updated 9.14.08

 

Introduction to Genre

Purpose

A genre is a category used to characterize texts (from written to visual to aural) that share similar features, and often similar purposes. As Lunsford (1991) explains, "Genres are effective and efficient because they can offer a point of common ground for writers and readers" (p. 523). When we communicate through various texts, the writer often chooses established genres; these genres are often based upon a series of features that all texts in this genre have in common. These features often quickly and easily identify the text as a certain genre, and once the reader identifies the genre they know what to expect from the text. In many ways, this "common ground" does half of the work for the writer by establishing parameters and expectations for the audience's experience. Thus, any deviations from a genre can effectively force your audience to pay closer attention to your message, or it can ineffectively confuse or frustrate your audience. We will begin to discuss genre, as a way to set up the first assignment, by looking at how others use these strategies.

Discussion I–Collaboration

In your assigned groups, you will develop a list of practices that will make groups function well. From these list, we will compose a contract that each member from each group will sign.

Discussion II–Genre

For this first assignment, you will need to examine several samples of the same or similar text types (i.e., social network profiles) and determine what the generic features of this text are. The following series of questions will help you examine texts for this purpose. The instructor will lead you through these principles using the memo on page 892 [SMH]

Purpose(s)

  • What does this text hope to accomplish?

Audience(s)

  • Who are this text’s primary, secondary, and accidental audiences?

Context & Writer(s)

  • Where did you find this text (physical space or type of web site)?
  • Who wrote the text (person or organization; real or handle)?

Organization Scheme

  • What work gets done in each paragraph or section?

Format & Media

  • How are all of the elements arranged on the page?
  • How well does the text comply to document design principles?
  • What media gets used to deliver the text and does this affect its format?

Language Choices

  • What is the style of the written element?
  • What is the tone?
  • How difficult are the words?

Visual Elements

  • What type of visuals get used?
  • What purpose do they serve?
  • Is the connection between the text and visuals implicit or explicit?

These questions have also been arranged for your convenience in a Graphic Organizer.

Discussion III–Social Networking Genre Project