Running head: GENRE ANALYSIS

Womens Suffrage Genre Analysis

Melissa Rodriguez
University of Texas at El Paso
Tafari A. Nugent
English 1312: Research and Critical Writing

GENRE ANALYSIS

2
Womens Suffrage Genre Analysis

Womens suffrage is the political and reform movement that was aimed at extending the
right of women to vote. Now a days, womens suffrage is considered a right. It is considered the
right to vote. There are still a small number of countries that continue to deny women the right to
vote. It is important to recognize that womens ability to vote today is due to the womens
suffrage movement. This movement was a constant political campaign that lasted more than 72
years. It involved tens of thousands of women and men. Women won the right to vote, they were
not granted with it.
Through two different genres, this matter is focused on. The two genres acknowledge the
attainment of womens ability to vote. Camila Planas YouTube channel shares a Womens
Suffrage Documentary. This documentary goes back to history and the injustices women would
go through. It also comes back to recent accomplishments by some of the most powerful
women.. The History Channel websites article, Woman suffrage amendment ratified, focuses
more on the 19th amendment to the constitution and how it came about. Both genres and their
perspectives concerning the main topic will be talked about more in depth throughout this genre
analysis paper.
Audience and Purpose
The first genre which is a documentary is a womens suffrage based video. Its main
purpose is to inform watchers about the struggles women had to face throughout the womens
suffrage movement. How they at last required the right to vote is talked about. Comparisons of
women from past history to powerful women today are made. The second genre, a History
Channels article also serves for an informative purpose. It informs readers about the ratification
of the 19th amendment.

GENRE ANALYSIS

The intended audience of the Womens Suffrage Documentary is women, feminists,

students, and YouTube viewers. Considering the content of this documentary, it can be inferred
that these people do not know much about the subject. In the case of feminists, they could be
considered an audience who would want to show support about the subject or simply make
comments about the issue. For the History Channels article, the aimed audience is history
channel viewers, students, feminists, and women. These types of people can just be interested on
how the right to vote by women was accomplished and also try to inform themselves. In the case
of History Channel viewers, reading of this article could have also just been a matter of
coincidence. The article could have just been found on the website and not specifically. Both
genres can be said to aim audiences that do not know much about the topic for the possible
purpose of educating individuals. The two of them try to encourage general awareness or
acknowledgement of the womens suffrage movement. Both explain basic information about the
subject such as the definition of womens suffrage itself, brief history, and the period the
movement lasted. Watchers and readers do not need to know much about the matter in order to
understand what both genres are talking about.
There is a slight difference on the amount of time that is necessary to cover the material
presented by each one. It can be inferred that the watchers and readers of these two genres are
not looking for quite detailed information about the subject, but just enough to help them
understand more about the basic matter. Readers of the article would probably spend about 4 to 5
minutes, and the viewers of this video would spend about 7 to 8 minutes. This includes process,
possible pausing, and rereading of the material. The watchers of the video would probably
continue watching just as the readers of the History Channels article would continue reading
because both of them dont present a great amount of information and are simple to follow up.

GENRE ANALYSIS

Individual genres purposes are to inform their respective audiences of the efforts of
women to achieve the right to vote. Each genre demonstrates information about the subject
differently. On the article, the purpose is to inform the audience of mostly how the 19th
amendment became ratified. It starts with the actual ratification itself and goes back to history. It
goes back to the history of the founders of womens suffrage, and to the first national women
rights convention. It then takes its readers to the present, to the role of American women society
in the 20th century. Finally, the article ends once again with the 19th amendment ratification. The
purpose of the documentary was to inform and persuade its viewers of the inequality women
faced back in the day. Big change is demonstrated from past to present powerful women. It talks
about the 19th amendment as well but does not give it as much attention as the article does; it
rather focuses strictly on the movement itself. Both genres communicate their information to the
audience according to their discourse communities. The History Channel is an informational
source which needs to have a professional use of language. Its vocabulary is formal. The History
Channel belongs to a group of people that are professionals and are credible to the audience, that
the articles use of language has limited vocabulary. The documentary in contrast, demonstrates
use of opinion and decreased use of high vocabulary. Language use of both genres is not very
detailed on the subject but rather provides more about the basic issue itself. Some of the
terminology used on the article has to do with the 19th amendment itself such as, The right of
citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by
any State on account of sex and, Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation. Other special vocabulary that pertains to the topic was ratification, twothirds majority vote, and suffragists. The type of language that is used on the documentary is
simple, informative, and persuasive having a purpose. Its language sounds like many

GENRE ANALYSIS

documentaries individuals would find on YouTube. Their content has an increased use of
opinion. Throughout the video phrases appear on a black background, the font is proper and
legible. These phrases only appear on a black background when pictures stop showing and the
voices of the 2 women presenting the information disappear. Phrases demonstrated with no
sound or color throughout the documentary can implicate possible reflection that the genre wants
for the audience to have about them. The phrases are white and are present on the black
background. These colors can represent neutrality and formality about the subject. The voices of
the two women that are talking throughout the video sound eloquent but at the same time
informal compared to the text on the article.
Rhetorical Issues
The two genres demonstrate rhetorical appeals, the method in which such are applied and
enforced differ respectively with their genre.
Ethos
On the article, the presenter talks about the 19th amendment becoming ratified and
establishes its credibility by quoting the constitution. The information is presented on the history
channel which is a distinguished and credible source. It can be said that its credibility supports
the genres purpose of educating other individuals. People who are fans of the history channel
are aware that not just any individual is able to submit their own information to the website. Past
factual events are also talked about throughout the video that help as supporting evidence of
what is talked about; there is no use of opinion. On the second genre, the importance of present
womens achievements are addressed and said to be the effects of a better equality by the
womens suffrage movement. Its credibility is established by providing viewers pictures of
powerful woman such as Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, and Michelle Obama. The presenters

GENRE ANALYSIS

describe their important factual impacts on society together with their own opinions about these
women. YouTubes videos or documentaries are not regarded as credible as a History Channels
pieces of information. Although this documentary also used past factual events more doubt is
rested upon the genres purpose aim of trying to educate others about the issue. The use of
opinion in this documentary is also a factor that can make its viewers think of it as a not so
credible source, especially because it is coming from YouTube.
Pathos
The articles presenter does not demonstrate a heavily emotional appeal, it can be said
that an emotional appeal was hardly used. The closest use of pathos by the article was
demonstrated on one of the articles phrases, The amendment was the culmination of more than
70 years of struggle by woman suffragists. Although the word struggle could have been used by
the article for the readers to feel pity about womens efforts and possible awareness, it is still
supported by the movements events and period of time it lasted. The emotion of pity by the
audience might have not been caught due to the genres extensive use of facts. Most of the use of
pathos in this article is similar to this example. The presenter mostly demonstrates the
information in a way that it is supported by evidence hardly using any opinion. Since the
information comes from an informative source it can be said that the use of pathos is limited. On
the other hand, the video coming from a YouTube channel has an increase use of pathos. Theres
a song that is playing while the voices of the women that are presenting the information are
being heard and it has a tone of melancholy. The song tries to persuade its viewers of the bad
times women faced in order win the right to vote, the song also evokes a feeling of sympathy for
the women on the documentary. The song and the serious voices of the women presenting the
information are a good combination and succeed at convincing the audience of what is being

GENRE ANALYSIS

said. Black and white pictures are presented at the beginning of the video when the documentary
talks about past women, it evokes a dull feeling. In comparison, towards the end of the
documentary color pictures are presented and evoke the triumph of present powerful women.
This use of pathos is also successful because it makes the viewer reflect of the life he/she has in
which some of those struggles arent present anymore.
Logos
The article presented logos through its use of terminology. Quoting the constitution
would make the audience think that what was being said was credible as well as logical. Writing
for the history channel is also a way in which the presenter made his information logical to the
audience. Professionalism, proper use, and formality of language were presented as logos.
Quoting the constitution was a successful way of using logos having in mind that the 19th
amendment is included in it. On the documentary, there was some use of opinion that was
supported by quotes of women rights activists. Images of past women and present women as a
reflection of what was being explained and described by the presenters also demonstrated the use
of logos. The pictures of powerful women were a great way of providing logical and supportive
information to the audience about the subjects importance. They were a contrast between the
inequality of women in the past and the improved society today.
Structure and Delivery
The structure of both genres differs. The article presented the information similarly to one
of a news story. One in which the main topic, Woman suffrage amendment ratified is talked
about at the beginning on the first paragraph and then followed by supporting paragraphs of past
history. On the second genre, the beginning of the video takes its viewers back to history. It then

GENRE ANALYSIS

walks them chronologically to the events faced on the womens suffrage movement. Finally, it
walks them to present time. One where there is a better future for women, an improved society.
Conclusion
The two genres explained the topic in a good way. The article was more formal and
political about the subject than the documentary, but the documentary focused more on the
present and made good comparisons with the past that helped the audience reflect upon the
subject. The article demonstrated a more neutral perspective about the issue than the
documentary, but both increased awareness on the importance of the womens suffrage
movement. Womens right to vote is an important matter in present society and both genres are
successful at attempting to educate people about it.

GENRE ANALYSIS

9
References

Salome, M. (n.d.). Assignment #1: Genre Analysis. In The Student Guide

to Undergraduate Rhetoric and Writing Studies (17th ed., pp. 225-230).
Woman suffrage amendment ratified. (1920, August 18). Retrieved September 16, 2014.
Plana, C. (n.d.). YouTube. In Women's Suffrage Documentary.