ENG 1020-Jankens Essay #3: Analysis Essay: How are genres used in a particular discourse community? What can I learn from working through an analysis of these genres? To read before beginning this assignment: Devitt, Bawarshi, and Reiff, “Materiality and Genre in the Study of Discourse Communities”; Devitt, Reiff, and Bawarshi, “Reading and Writing Within Public Scenes” p. 521-530. For this assignment, you will gather texts from the discourse community that you are studying. These texts should represent those texts used to accomplish the community’s goals. For example, Reiff describes a student, Susan, who collects case briefs in order to understand the law community (556). Susan works through interviews, observations, and genre analysis in her mini-ethnography. For this project we will work through the analysis, and I will ask you to reflect on what other methods might give you a more complete understanding of the discourse community as we progress through the semester. What kinds of texts might I focus on? Think through the kinds of texts you have encountered so far in your research into the discourse community this semester. Other examples from previous students Discourse community: substitute teachers Texts: written protocols from school districts describing the job Goal: to discover how the districts present the duties of the substitute teacher to applicants Discourse community: chemistry students Texts: scholarly articles in chemistry journals Goal: to discover how these articles are organized and what is valued in these papers to be able to write a scholarly article successfully Discourse community: CLLAS students Texts: CLLAS informational materials (brochures, website, etc.) Goal: to discover how CLLAS chooses to present itself to potential students Discourse community: Buddy’s pizza employees, customers companies Texts: terms of use policies of several similar Goal: to understand how a terms of use policy functions for a company These are just a few examples to get you thinking. Your writing in Reading Response 3 will get you started on the paper. For the project, choose 2-4 texts on which to center your analysis. After you have gathered sufficient materials, you will work through an analysis of the texts, working to understand what information is being communicated, why, how it is structured, what impact the message has on the receiver, on those who use the texts, etc. To do this analysis, work through the following steps. How do I generate ideas for this paper? Begin with description. What do these texts look like? What is the content? How is it formatted? This piece of the assignment is objective, describing what you see without inserting your opinion or analysis of the text, genre, or message. Think about context. When, how, and why is this text used? Who is the creator? Who is the audience? Then, read a little deeper. What is the goal of the text; that is, what is trying to be accomplished in this text? What are the “underlying beliefs, values, and ideals” you see evidenced in the text? What is the lived experience of those using the texts? That is, how do these texts actually function when in use? Work through a similar analysis with each of the texts you are analyzing for this project. Then, work through some synthesis: How do these texts, together, function to accomplish the overall goals of the discourse community? What further questions or issues does this analysis raise for you in terms of how the discourse community works to accomplish its goals? Finally, do some reflecting: What other methods could you use to find out more about how the discourse community works? How should I organize this paper? In terms of an introduction, you should include a brief description of the discourse community you are examining and an indication of the texts you have selected, why you have selected these texts, and what you will show through this examination/analysis (this last part is your thesis). In many ways, the questions above can be used as an organizing tool for the body of your paper. For each text you are analyzing, offer a description of the text and your analysis. Then, work through synthesizing your analyses. Discuss the implications of your analyses. What conclusions can you come to? What questions about the discourse community does working through the analysis raise for you? In a closing reflection section, discuss what other research methods might give you a more complete understanding of the discourse community. The final draft of your paper, including the works cited page, should be 1500-2000 words long. What do I need to know in terms of citation? Write a properly formatted works cited page. Quote where necessary; cite any paraphrased, quoted, or reported information using in-text citations. How does this paper fit into the larger context of the semester? This project may lead to your work on the evaluation/proposal argument essay. For example, last year, one of my students began to examine the no-smoking initiatives on the Crittenton Hospital campus, including the training manual for volunteers and no-smoking signage, and considered how texts and spaces like the admission documents and the hospital’s information televisions might provide additional outlets for the transmission of this non-smoking campus policy. Another one of my students examined the Pre-Professional Medical Society’s mission statement and website and compared this to the website of other chapters on other campuses, thinking through how the PPMS, through a simple shift in focus, and through stronger use of its website, might be more beneficial to its members. What important due dates should I keep in mind? As part of your reading response to Devitt, Bawarshi, and Reiff, you will do some discovery writing for your essay. The reading response is due to your blog at the beginning of class time, Monday, October 8. This will likely include a rough introduction of the pieces you’re selecting, and some initial analysis commentary. Shoot for at least 500 words of discovery writing in this part of the response. A minimum 1000-word draft of your essay is due Wednesday, October 10. Bring one copy, printed out, to class. Upload another copy to Blackboard by 11:59 p.m. for my feedback. The final copy of your essay is due to Blackboard Monday, October 22, by 11:59 p.m. How will this paper be evaluated? I will evaluate your paper using the following rubric (we will also use this to work through peer review on Wednesday, October 10). The essay is worth 100 points, with your consideration and addressing of the rhetorical situation worth 30 points, your description and analysis worth 40 points, and your writing style, organization, and citation worth 30 points. Concept Excellent Acceptable 8-7 Needs Significant Revision 6-5 Poor/Not Demonstrated 4-0 (Rhetorical Situation) The essay centers on an analysis of 2-4 texts from a particular discourse community. -The introduction includes a brief description of the d.c., and indication of the texts being analyzed, and a thesis statement clarifying what will be shown through the analysis. -A closing reflection section indicates what other research methods may give the writer a more complete understanding of the discourse community. -The essay is 15002000 words long. (Content)The essay includes descriptions of the texts being analyzed, thoughtful analysis 10 7.5 6 4 2-0 7.5 6 4 2-0 2 0 5 15-14 13-12 11-9 8-0 15-14 13-12 11-9 8-0 of the context and underlying values of the texts being analyzed, and an assessment of how these texts function for the discourse community. (Organization) The essay contains focused, developed, and coherent paragraphs. Transitions between paragraphs connect ideas. (Style) Sentences are clear and coherent. The essay displays minimal error. Vocabulary is appropriate to the subject being explored. (Citation)The works cited page and paper heading is written in MLA format. Paraphrased, quoted or reported information is cited in MLA format. 10 8-7 6-5 4-0 15-14 13-12 11-9 8-0 10 8-7 6-5 4-0 2 0 5