GenreAnalysis

GenreAnalysis AriellaSweeney UniversityofCentralFlorida

GenreAnalysis

Studyingthegenreofadiscoursecommunityisessentialinunderstandingthe communityanditsgoals.WhilereadingboththearticlebyDevittandthearticlebyDevitt, Bawarshi,andReiff,idiscoveredthatmypreconceivednotionsongenrewerentwhat genreisinthesenseofdiscoursecommunities.Genrehaslesstodowiththeactualwords ortext,andmoretodowiththeuseofthelanguage.Manycommunitiesuselanguagethat willcausepeopleoutsideofacommunitytonotbeabletoaccesstheinformation,simply becausetheycannotunderstandwhatisbeingsaid(Devitt,Bawarshi,Reiff). Genreismoreaboutarepeatedrhetoricalsituationthatiscreatedbythetextor literatureandthetextcreatedbytherepeatedrhetoricalsituation(Devitt).Thesituations areinterpretedindifferentwaysbythespecialistandnonspecialistcommunitiesthat interactwiththeliterature.Nonspecialistcommunitiesmayhaveaccesstotheinformation ofunderstandthesituationcreatedbythetextbutmaynotunderstandthespecialized languagecontainedwithinthetextitself.Ichosetoresearchgenreswithinmyfuture discoursecommunity,whichissocialwork.Therhetoricalsituationcreatedbymygenreis thevoluntaryterminationofparentalrights. Thefirsttextistudiedwastheactualformthatterminatestherightsoftheparent. Thelanguageisformalandcontainmanylegalreferences.Theonlyareasavailablefor fillinonlyallowedfornames,dates,orsignatures.Thedocumentismostlikelymeanttobe seenbyalawyer,someonewithalawbackground.Therearereferencestolegaloffenses andcodesforthoseoffensesthatwouldnotbeunderstoodbytheaveragepersonand mostlegaldocumentsarenotseenbypeopleoutsideofthediscoursecommunity.The personwhoisrelinquishingtheirparentalrightsandthepersongainingrightstothechild

GenreAnalysis

wouldinteractwiththedocumentinitially,howeveritislikelythatlawyerswouldbepresent. Thediscoursecommunitythatusesthisdocumentishighlyspecializedandmust understandtosomedegreehowthejusticesystemworkswithchildrenandfamilies.The powerliesintheperson(s)fillingouttheformandthosewhofileitwiththestate.

Mysecondform,wasamedicalreportthatneededtobecompletedafterthechild wasbornforvoluntaryterminationofrights.Thisformisforahighlyspecializeddiscourse communityofdoctorsorotherswithamedicalbackgroundbecausemanypeoplewould notunderstandthemedicalterminologyused.Theformseemsbasicbesidesthe language.Thequestionsareallfillintheblankoribelievetobecheckedbythedoctor. Thisparticularformmostlikelyinteractswiththemedicalstaffandthenthesocialworkeror lawyerthatisworkingontheterminationofrights.Peopleoutsideofthediscourse communitiesthatusetheformwouldmostlikelynothaveanyaccesstoitbecauseitisa medicaldocumentusedforlegalpurposes.Thispowerliesinthehandofthedoctorforthis textbecausetheyusetheinformationgiven,howeverthepersonfillingouttheformmaylie whichgivesthemthepower. Myfinalformismeanttobecompletedbytheparent.Ibelieveitismeantfor relinquishingtherightstoaslightlyolderchildbecauseitasksaboutthestagesofthe childsdevelopmentandtheagethechildcompletedcertainstages,suchascrawling.The languagedoesnotseemtobeoverlyspecializedandthistextdoesnotkeeppeoplefrom accessingtheinformationsimplybecausetheydonotunderstand.Itwouldmostlikelybe usedbythesocialworkerwhowasworkingontheterminationandbytheparentornew

GenreAnalysis

guardianofthechild.Itallowsforthenewguardianandthesocialworkertohaveadetailed historyofthechildandtheparentsfamily.Thiswouldbeusefulfordetermininghereditary illnesslaterinthechildslife.Thepowerliesintheparentforthisdocument,themorethey providethebetteroffthechildandthenewcaregiverorotherparentis.Powerisalso obtainedbythepersonwhousesthedocumentinthefuturebecausetheyinterpretwhatis filledinontheformanduseit. Thepowerbehindaspecificgenreliesinthepeoplewhocanunderstandandutilize theliterature.Powerisofteninthepersoncompletingadocument,thepersonwritingit,or thepersonwhousesit.Thepowercanliewithmultiplepeople,ifthetextismoving betweenmanyhands.Thediscoursecommunitiesthatthegenrepertainstotendtohave themostpowerwhenusingthetextbecausetheyfullyunderstandthelanguageand purposeofthetextorliterature.

GenreAnalysis

Devitt,AmyJ."Generalizingaboutgenre:newconceptionsofanoldconcept."College CompositionandCommunication.4thed.Vol.44.N.p.:NationalCouncilof TeachersofEnglish,n.d.57386.Print.

Devitt,AmyJ.,AnisBawarshi,andMaryJoReiff."Materialityofgenreinthestudyof discoursecommunities."CollegeEnglish.5thed.Vol.65.N.p.:NationalCouncil of TeachersofEnglish,n.d.54158.Print.

SouthDakotaDepartmentofSocialServices.2011.Backgroundinformationfor voluntaryterminationofparentalrights.Childprotectiveservices.Retrievedfrom http://dss.sd.gov/formspubs/

SouthDakotaDepartmentofSocialServices.2011.Newbornmedicalreportfor voluntaryterminationofparentalrights.Childprotectiveservices.Retrievedfrom http://dss.sd.gov/formspubs/

TheStateofIndiana.Voluntaryrelinquishmentofparentalrights.PDF.Retrieved fromhttps://forms.in.gov/Download.aspx?id=8182

GenreAnalysis

Ariella, Ithinkyoureofftoagreatstartwithyourpapersofar.Youshowacleardefinitionofgenre andwhatyoudiscoursecommunityis.Youalsoclearlyunderstandthepowerrolesineach articleyouread.Ithinktofurtherunderstandthegenreofeacharticleyoumightwantto expandonyourevidence.Ialsothinkyoumightwanttoconsiderelaboratingmoreonhow thegenrehelpsachievethegoalofthediscoursecommunity.Ithinkthiswoulddefinitely helptieyourwholepapertogether.Hopethishelps!!

AlexanderRice

GenreAnalysis

Ariella,

Ithoughtitwasreallygoodthatyoutalkedabouteachtextindividually.Ithinkyoushouldgo moreindepththoughwitheachtext.Whydotheyneedeachform?Whycanttheyjustdo alltheagreementsverbally?Gomoreindepthandtalkabouteachformmorespecifically. Addinginevidencewillalsohelpyoutoembellishoneachform.Makeaquotesandwich.I knowwhenIwaswritingminethequotesandwichhelpedmetothinkaboutthequotemore insteadofjustthrowingitinthere.Addinginmoreclaimsandevidencewillhelpgetyour pointacrossmore.AttheendIthinkyouneedtopullittogetherbetterwithasowhat. Explainwhatyoulearnedaboutthediscoursecommunity.Whydoesyourformsrepresent thediscoursecommunity?Rereadyourdraftandthinkaboutdetailsandallofthe questions.Overall,Ithoughtyourpaperwasgoodyoujustneedtoembellishmoreandgo moreindepthwiththetexts!

Hopethishelped! MelissaRacher