Alexandra Scott!

Unit 2 paper!
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Unit 2 Paper

Scott1

IDENTIFYING GENRE:!

Genre, to me, represents the means by which an idea is conveyed to an audience. So,

for example, if the audience consists of kindergarteners, the words and ideas should be
presented in a manner simple enough for them to understand. However, one could beef up the
vocabulary and ideas for a set of college educated students, who can pick up on new ideas
quickly. !
!

I feel that I learned the most about the basics of genre from the third reading response.

Amy Devitt, a professor who specializes in the study of genre theory, explains the concept of
genre so that I am able to interpret it's meaning. !
!

Another author quoted in the required reading was Llyod Bitzer, a rhetorician. He

explains the idea that one must first create the preliminary response to get an outcome. When a
new situation appears, a new genre appears with it. (Bitzer Just like how Washington utilized a
specific genre for his first presidential speeches, so will the lucky person who delivers the first
speech from the moon. I assume that there will be a certain modality used by that person to
communicate. I.e via television. There will be certain requirements that were possibly not
conceptualized before. I.e oxygen mask, and gravity simulation. I realize now that ,usually,
genres repeat themselves in order to facilitate improvement or development of an old genre.
Thus, a possibility is furnished to allow the genre to become better each time it is re-introduced.
!
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too much
indent

The final reference that contributed to my basic understanding of genre was that

of Carolyn Miller, a leading professor in the field of technical communication. Carolyn Miller
expanded on the notion of genre. She explains that the correct use of genre can instill the
written text with better understanding for the reader. If the correct situation is chosen, one is
likely to get the words imparted correctly. Genre changes depending on the requirements the
words have. As Carolyn explains, you shouldnt word a college acceptance letter like that of a

good context
provided here

Alexandra Scott!
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love letter. While a love letter is known for its details, a college acceptance essay typically is
short and precise. Genres set the mood for the piece they reflect. (Miller 253)!
!

Now that I have explained what a genre can be, I would like to outline a genre unique to

my specific discourse community (the Eta Theta chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta at the University
of Central Florida) I.e. chapter meetings. These meetings are held within the "chapter room" of
the Kappa Alpha Theta house. Each meeting occurs every Sunday and provides an opportunity
to connect the members of the chapter and inform them. These meetings have many
requirements and will be explained further in this essay. !

!
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ACTIVITY THEORY THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY:!

My interpretation of an Activity Theory is a group of items specific to the community that

contribute to the framework of the community. Encompassed within the Activity Theory are
certain mechanisms, motivational tools, the people associated with the community, rules by
which the community adheres, and, finally, a means by which an individual divides the
expectations within the community. !
!

The source from which I learned the most was Donna Kain, a professor of rhetoric at

East Carolina University. As Donna explains, this theory allows us the opportunity to observe
how those in the community live. The theory resembles an inside peek, as if you were actually a
part of the community. Through this observation, we can have an understanding of a
community's language and genre. (Kain 273) A great example, that comes to mind, would be
understanding a civilization in the past. Another example might be if someone was curious
about a club. If they created an activity systems model, they would have all the information that
they would need to understand life in the past (former example) or prepare to join a specific club
(latter example). !

Alexandra Scott!
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To illustrate a more specific example of Activity Theory regarding my discourse

community, I decided to use the activity systems model that was introduced by Donna in her
excerpt. This will help create some organized concise thoughts. The categories used include
tools, motives, subjects, rules, and division of labor.!
!

The tools needed for inclusion in my sorority (more specifically chapter meetings) consist

of a variety of items that meet requirements set by the organization. Members need to own a
black dress for certain events. The black dress can be any style, as the color is the only
stipulation. Two specifically required uniform items are the sorority pin and chapter jersey. Each
person in the chapter must own the same exact pin, sold only on the official website for the
sorority. The chapter jerseys are a type of shirt that members are sometimes required to wear to
events or chapter meetings. Like the pins, they ,too, are exactly identical to one another (with
the exception of the letters and numbers written on them). All chapter jerseys have the letters
KA, your family number within the sorority, your pledge class number, last name, and the
letters of the University of Central Florida chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta. !
!

One motive of the sorority is to raise money for a philanthropy. In order to do that, the

group must organize a successful event. This event is usually planned during chapter
meetings. We discuss the event as a whole and contribute individually to its cause. In our case,
the event is a Superhero 5K(Object) for CASA, which benefits children. If we stage a successful
event, then other members of the Greek community or surrounding Orlando community will
participate by running or donating, thus raising money for our philanthropy(Outcome). Another
motive is to recruit new members each fall and spring (object). If we can successfully recruit the
same amount of girls who graduate or drop out, then we can keep our chapter at the UCF and
successfully maintain a group of leading women(Outcome).!
!

The obvious subjects of my sorority are the women currently attending the University of

Central Florida. These women display qualities of scholarly, leading women. The community

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includes a uniform group of individuals who can bring their personal qualities to the chapter, but
are able to conform, when needed, to embody a uniform unit. The objective of having the
uniformity is to show a visual example of sisterhood. The goal is to present a group of sparkling
individuals who are identified by the letters they wear. By accepting their bid into the sorority,
they agree to uphold the high standards of their organization, and to the scrutiny of the general
collegiate population by wearing those letters. Therefore, support of this tool is unanimous. !
!

Certain rules of the sorority range from the academic to the social. A rule has been set in

place requiring a woman to maintain a certain GPA to be considered an active member of the
sorority. A mandated social rule is that members wearing letters are not present in a
compromising setting. This means that those capable of drinking at the bars are not permitted to
have their letters shown. Members don't drink in letters. This applies to social media as well.
Any disrespectful posts, pictures, or statuses are asked to be taken down. If one were to go
against these rules, they would be called into a meeting to discuss their actions and decide the
best way to handle the situation. This smaller meeting (standards) is similar to the setting of a
court room, with an advisor being a judge, to keep the peace, and sisters a jury, to ultimately
decide the outcome. The only difference is that the women sent to a standards meeting help to
decide their fate as well. All participants work as a team to enable a member to learn from her
mistakes, to help that individual to improve, and to create a just punishment. !
!

The division of labor within a sorority is unique. Certain positions are stipulated within the

sorority. Usually, one person is in charge of finances. Another plans the social events with
fraternities. We have a girl in charge of academics. A committee is established to be in charge of
discipline. Some individuals are voted on to take certain positions, while other positions, in the
sorority, are on a volunteer basis. Each girl must pay dues, part of which fund the events
(motive) staged by the sorority. Each member must contribute to improve the sorority as a
whole. !
This discussion of activity system is good but I'm looking for discussion of how the genre(s) you've chosen interact,
influence, or are influenced by these parts of the system as well.

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CREATING IDENTITY:!

Another way I analyzed the Activity Theory was by utilizing the ideas of Elizabeth

Wardle. Wardle uses Activity Theory to explain membership. She explains that, in order to be an
active member, the "neophyte" must be active within the community. They must learn what it
means to be part of the community. This may involve learning what type of rituals are used, or
how to act/write like members. When she refers to these ideas, she specifically alludes to two
specific topics regarding this concept: Identity and Authority. She is also able to provide a story
to back up her claims. Her ideas do address the possibility that there are more factors that
solidify membership within a community. (Wardle 524) It is suggested that one can have
individualism and authority and that this will be the only way to succeed in being a contributing
member of the community. A member could act the same as a member that came before and
possibly evade notice as a "successful" member. This means that a member could just learn the
bare necessities, not contribute new ideas to the community, nor form a solid identity. !

!
!

Wardle explains identity as the ability to be a member of the community, while still

It might be keeping their past experiences. One might introduce new ideas, values, or ways of doing things.
useful to bring
in Gee's article
In an extreme example, a new employee who may have come from a very religious background
on identity
in Unit 3

might be offended by a very "touchy" co-worker.(Wardle 524) This may cause the company to
have a new contact rule in the office. Someone's past experiences may also strongly influence
how they act. Someone with a Latino background may be very loud and be quick to provide
their opinions, while a more quiet person may be apprehensive to express the same opinions.
Identity helps someone stand out within a community, therefore, helping to improve the
community as well. A community with many identified individuals can change and adapt to the
ever-changing world and problems. !

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An example within my discourse community (sorority) is student background. We have

girls that come from private schools, who are very involved in making the events as pretty as
possible. While others are more interested in making the events (motive) as fun as possible. At
first, this may seem like a doomed situation. But, in fact, when these two very different groups,
who show different types of identities, work together, it actually makes the event better than if
only one of the ideas was utilized. Another example is that some girls, who played sports in high
school, are into the intramural games the sororities play against each other, while others are
more likely to watch and make signs. This community, with many identified individuals,
demonstrates that the sorority has sisterhood and reflects well on us. !
!

Authority, within this passage, is described as the ability to quickly pick up on certain

practices within the chosen community. Wardle explains that there is a grace period during
which the new members must adjust to rules, regulations, and expectations of the community.
Those who are still struggling, after the grace period, are considered to lack authority within the
community.(Wardle 526) Another aspect associated with authority is the ability to provide
identity in one's work or to take the expectations/ "base" and add one's own thoughts to it. The
expectations of the community should serve as a starting point for one's authority to add/
improve upon the bare necessities of the community. !
!

This is manifested in my discourse community by members who decide to take the

elected positions referenced earlier in this document. These people take their basic involvement
in the sorority and decide to augment that involvement by taking a position which puts them in a
place of authority. The members who previously took each position leave notes regarding their
experiences. The previous official and new official sit down and talk about responsibilities. This
gives the new position member the opportunity to digest what the previous member divulges in
an attempt to strive to improve and expand the position.!

conflict

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I feel that in creating identity, one is also initiating a type of power struggle. Sometimes

those in power have a hard time dealing with the questions of the new members of this
community. For instance,in the past, the president has implemented a rule without explaining
why the rule is important. A prime example is that a new member is not allowed to wear letters
before becoming an initiated sister. Without an explanation for the meanings behind the wearing
of the letters (something provided at the initiation ceremony), it's hard for the new member to
understand why items bearing letters are not distributed to them randomly. Another decree that
may be met with concern relates to the specific genre of chapter meetings. It is the fact that
new members are not allowed to enter the chapter meeting until after a certain amount of time.
This is because "ritual" is practiced. Initiated members are unable to inform the new members
about why it's important to exclude them from these mannerisms. This is a situation where a
power struggle may occur within the chapter meetings, because it singles out the new members
and makes them frustrated.!
!

The discussions presented within my paper raise some questions that even I ponder:

How can a sorority resolve this power struggle without exposing ritual to everyone? How can
someone of new standing rise above those with seniority to a position of authority? Can too
much identity hinder an individual's ability to rise to an authoritative position? Would the choice
to voice too many opinions or to show too much emotion diminish that individual's chances?!

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Alexandra Scott!
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Works Cited!

italics

Dirk, Kerry. "Navigating Genres" Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing. Ed. Charles Lowe and ! !
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Pavel Zemliansky. Parlor Press, 2010. 249. Print. !

Kain, Donna, and Elizabeth Wardle. "Activity Theory: An Introduction for the Writing Classroom." !
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Writing about Writing: A College Reader. Ed. Elizabeth A. Wardle and Doug Downs. !
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Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2011. 273. Print.!

Wardle, Elizabeth. "Identity, Authority, and Learning to Write in New Workplaces". Writing About
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Writing a College Reader. Eds. Elizabeth Wardle, Doug Downs. Boston: Bedford/
St. ! !
Martin's, 2011 520-537. Print.