Kerry Dirk's Navigating Genre

In Kerry Dirk’s informal article “Navigating Genres,” originally published in Writing Spaces in 2010, Dirk states that genres are rhetorical responses to reoccurring situations. He begins by defining genre at its most basic form, as well as in a rhetoric context. He refers to popular culture, including country music, to further his discussion from scholars to personal experience to make students aware of how to view writing rhetorically. He also explains that students are often familiar with many genres without even knowing it. They participate in these genres through everyday activities like emails and texting. Dirk also states all genres are important because they shape our everyday lives. There are also rules that are associated with genres,

Maybe you don’t have a specific set of claims or beliefs you want your audience to adopt. Even if you do, provide brief responses to the following:

Campbell and Jamieson (1978) stated that “genre is a group of acts unified by a constellation of forms that recurs in each of its members” (p. 417). Constellation refers to “elements bound together dynamically (that) exist in a single instance to establish a genre or potential” (p. 420). The elements that are referred to in the previous are substantive, stylistic and situational. Each element serves a different purpose. According to Foss (2004), the situational characteristic calls for particular kinds of rhetorical responses based off perceptions in a given situation. Foss (2004) elaborates and says that substantive and stylistic has the rhetorician respond to perceived requirements of particular situations. Specifically, substantive examines

I hope your second week of WR 121 is going well. I also found the kidnapping scenario interesting because it helped me put in perspective how genre affects our writing. The example you used in your third paragraph is quite interesting as well, i never thought about how everything can be a genre. I wonder if genre is so complex, is their limits to what can’t be considered a genre?

In a day in age where we live in a vast multimedia culture, content is supplied to us through distinct and diverse outlets including video, animation, audio, and text. Within these outlets comes more a defined set of media. Text is anything you can read which includes books, magazines, newspapers, and advertisements. Audio on the other hand is anything you can listen to which includes podcasts, music, and radio. Once you get down to these specific levels, a higher classification level is required in order to define, describe, and organize types of compositions. This requires genre which is a subcategory of media or entertainment that is established and defined by certain heterogeneous characteristics.

I chose to approach this assignment by focusing on an aspect from Devitt that I was still having a hard time figuring out. The new conception of genre is a more complex approach than the older conventional concept of genre. Devitt express her concern with the old concept of genre and present evidence or theory that the older concept may present restrictions whereas the newer concept, although more complex allows for more diversity in the construction of the genre. As stated on page 575,” Once our attention shifts to the origins of genres, it also shifts away from their formal features” The new concept is to create a genre that will unify two divided opposite groups to help us understand the process of language in writing a genre.

The emotional ads are used to influence the consumer’s behavior through humor or anything that shows positive affect towards the brand’s attributes (Murray, 2013). In image ad, the advertisers are more focused on creating a mental picture of a product that consumer can associate themselves with certain lifestyles or values. And in endorsement ads, the advertisers introduced their brand by aligning it with someone famous or an expert in their field. Such as, celebrities, athletics or doctors. By applying or attaching endorsement, it can enhanced the brand’s recognition, appeal and credibility (Iacobucci, 2013).

The Genres of Grandma's Letters introduced a very new concept to me. Previous to this class I had a very different definition of genre engraved within my brain. Then we started relearning and rediscovering a new definition of genre. Just when I thought I knew what a genre was I read this article. Within this reading the author describes how her grandma had a genre of her own. Grandma wrote letters which fell into the genre of letters but there was another sub-genre. This sub-genre was based off the way she wrote. Grandma's letters were different for the author than other letters so to the author these letters became a whole new genre. This got me thinking about the different books that I read and it started to make more sense to me. Even though

Advertising, as defined by the Business Dictionary, can be the activity or profession of producing information for promoting the sale of commercial products or services. It is intended to influence consumers on their buying behavior. It is everywhere and reaches consumers, wherever you are. There are a lot of persuasion techniques that are being used by companies, they would always have something nice to show, something new to say. For example, a great shampoo can give your hair a beautiful shine without an oily feel or look; companies would get people’s attention by hiring models and celebrities for ads and commercials. The two shampoo ads I found in US Magazine and Parents both issued August 2016 are pretty much alike. The ads show celebrities

Just like stereotypes, advertisements can convince us to believe something that most likely is not true. Advertisements uses different techniques ranging from memories of your childhood and going somewhere different. Memories are used to appeal to your memories of your fun childhood. “Escape as in going somewhere you have always wanted to go and you long for the feeling of being free” (McLead). Other things included Belonging this one uses stereotypes the most, but basically it is making you want to be part of something greater. Status as in success or money. Safety because many people want to protect loved ones and they make us feel unsafe so we have to buy what makes them safe. The last involves beauty everyone wants to feel beautiful and

Why are advertisements everywhere nowadays? The simple answer may be that companies want people to buy their product. However, there is a deeper meaning to many advertisements that many consumers fail to see. Companies effectively use imagery, language, and creative approaches to globally advertise their product. “In order to understand advertising, you must accept that it is not about truth, virtue, love, or positive social values. It is about selling a product” (O’Neill 348). O’Neill is clearly stating to readers that the main goal of companies is to get consumers to buy their product. Additionally, advertisement creators creatively portray to consumers their desires, aspirations, and even fears. Therefore, I agree with O’Neill’s statement that advertising language mirrors the fears, quirks, and aspirations of the society that creates it because of the thousands of existing advertisements that support his claim in my own life.

Advertisements sell more than products for consumers. They sell values of what is considered to be normal. To an extent, they set the bar when it comes to who we are and who we should try to be, most especially when it comes to how we look.

Advertisements are used to draw you in and convince you to buy products you don’t need. Advertisers use fictional characters like hamsters and cartoons to entertain and entice consumers. Advertisers use advertisements to entice consumers to buy their products by appealing to their emotions.

Advertisements have been around for many generations. Some companies have success with ads while others sometimes do not. There are many factors that decipher whether an ad is effective in convincing the public to buy one’s product or service. Examples of these factors can be color, text, layout, graphics, or hooks. The majority of advertisements focus on two or three factors rather than all. These aspects can captivate the audience by its words or by the way a certain quality pops out while also keeping the ad simple and not overwhelming. Some companies even include more radical advertising techniques such as celebrity endorsements. Because celebrities have an immense social standing and can influence a mass amount of the population, companies find it very fitting to use this technique.

Advertisements only care about your money. Companies are money driven which in many cases causes their products to contradict their morals (Cig). Companies target emotions in exchange of acquiring what their message is promoting (Red Cross). Ads strengthen stereotypes that are apart of all sort of categories (Source D). They are misleads and not as honest as they portray themselves to be.