Genre Analysis preliminary draft due
2/3/10 at 1:30 pm.
Genre Analysis
final draft due 2/17/10 1:30 p.m.
To deepen our understanding of discourse community concepts,
we will analyze both traditional and multimedia documents as
genres. A genre is a form of communication such as a book,
a billboard, or a blog. When we conduct a genre analysis,
then, we are looking at the forms of two different
texts within or across discourse communities. The purposes
of this assignment are to help you understand the importance
of genre and discourse community knowledge to
writers. Additionally, this assignment will reinforce your
understanding of the ways writing differs among genres and
allow you to strengthen your skills in writing in the genre
of a textual analysis.
Compose:
Locate and photocopy (or print, save, link, or scan) two
types of genres on the same issue or topic. Consider our
discussion on the concept of genre, how to recognize
different genres, and the features that differentiate one
genre from another. You should begin the process by creating
a matrix that shows the differences and similarities through
the four areas of genre analysis: rhetorical issues,
content, structure, and style/language as a way to
formulate/outline the content in the body of the essay.
Design:
As you begin, read about different genres such as posters,
documentary photography, instruction sets, editorial and
opinion pieces, essays, and comics in Section 3, pages
315-509 in your textbook: Compose, Design, Advocate.
Carefully choose two different genres about the same
subject matter for your genre analysis essay.
Address the following areas, and use evidence from the
genres to support your discussion, and maintain third
person voice throughout:
Introduction:
·
Start with a brief discussion of the subject/topic that the
two genres are focusing on. Include the title of each
piece, the genre type, and the author or company name of
each in the introduction.
·
State the thesis, either implied or stated, in each genre.
Your thesis, which goes in the last paragraph, is the
synthesis of the two genres.
Audience and Purpose Questions:
·
Who is the intended audience for each genre?
·
What discourse community (or communities) is this audience
in?
·
What is the audience likely to know? Want to know? Why?
·
How much time will this audience want to spend with the
information presented in the genres?
·
What is the purpose of the information presented in the
genres? (inform, persuade, entertain)
Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos and Logos:
·
How does each genre help to establish the information's
credibility? Is it effective?
·
How does each genre help to evoke an emotional response from
the audience? Which emotions? Why?
·
What types of evidence are used to support the claims of the
information in the genres? Is it appropriate? Why or why
not?
Structure:
·
How is the information shaped by the genre (s)? (Consider
the limitations/freedoms of space, time, layout, audience,
and so on.)
·
How are the genres organized to convey its message?
·
How does the structure facilitate the purpose of the
information in the genre(s)?
Style/Language:
·
How formal/informal is the language?
·
What specialized vocabulary is used?
·
What other language features do you notice?
Conclusion/Synthesis:
·
Which genre was more effective in conveying its message?
Why?
·
Offer a final comment on the impact of genres on
discourse.
Product Testing:
You will receive comments on drafts through peer review, the
Writing Center, the evaluators, and/or your instructor.
Advocate:
Submit a 4-6 page essay in which you analyze and compare two
genres on the same subject/topic. Maintain third
person voice throughout.
**Choose your genres carefully—poor choices will lead to an
insufficient genre analysis.**
Submit both a rough draft and the final draft as well as
copies of both genres (can be a link) to the submission area
in Blackboard. Save your paper using your last name, and
the word, "genre,” and “draft” or “final” depending on the
version of the paper you are submitting.
Format:
·
Use 12 pt. font, Times New Roman, Arial, or Georgia style,
double space, and use appropriate voice/tone for an analysis
essay.
·
Provide a Reference page and use in-text citation when
referring to specific passages or examples of each genre.
·
Use third person voice.
|
Key Elements Checklist:
ü
Choose two distinct genres.
ü
Provide evidence from the genres to answer all
questions.
ü
Provide a conclusion that synthesizes your
analysis.
ü
Keep the essay in third person voice.
|
|
CATEGORY |
A |
B |
C |
D |
F |
|
Analysis
30 pts.
|
Specific, developed analysis and insightful
comparisons between the genres. Appropriate
choice of genres. |
Analysis is generally sound but could be more specific
in some areas. Insightful
comparison between the genres. Appropriate choice of
genres. |
General and/or undevelop-ed analysis and some comparison
between the genres. Appropriate choice of genres. |
Analysis is sparse; almost no comparison between the
genres and/or
Question-able
choice of genres. |
No relevant analysis and compare-sons made between the
genres and/or inappro-priate choice of genres. |
|
Supporting Details
20 pts. |
Support information is related to analysis and
supportive of the topic/sub-ject. |
Support information has minor weaknesses relative to
analysis and/or support of the topic/sub-ject. |
Support information has major weaknesses relative to
analysis and/or support of the topic/sub-ject. |
An attempt has been made to add support information, but
it was unrelated or confusing. |
No support informa-tion found or irrelevant. |
|
Focus
20 pts. |
Maintains focus on topic/sub-ject throughout response. |
May exhibit minor lapses in focus on topic/sub-ject. |
May lose or may exhibit major lapses in focus on
topic/sub-ject. |
May fail to establish focus on topic/sub-ject. |
No analytical focus found. |
|
Writing Fluency: Clear, Concise, Correct
15 pts. |
Demon-strates skillful writing fluency, exhibits few or
no mechanical errors. |
Demon-strates reasonable writing fluency, exhibits few
mechanical errors. |
Writing fluency is lacking, exhibits several mechanical
errors. |
Demon-strates minimal writing fluency, exhibits numerous
mechanical errors. |
Writing is not fluent-- unreadable. |
|
APA and
Documenta-tion
15 pts. |
Sources are cited correctly in the document and on the
reference page. |
Sources are cited, but there are a few errors in the
format. |
Sources are cited, but there are several errors in the
format. |
Some of the sources are not cited and/or the format is
not correct. |
Sources are not cited at all. |
