Genres are responses to recurring situations developed by discourse communities. This document discusses genres and introduces an assignment to analyze genres in a chosen discipline. Students will analyze three articles, looking at genre settings, participants, features, subjects and patterns, citing sources in the appropriate format for their discipline. Peer review involves reading, marking for revision, suggesting quotes or examples, and writing a letter identifying strengths, main issues, and three specific suggestions.

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Preliminary Genre
Analysis: Workshop
Tuesday, May 22nd

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Genres are…
Finish the sentences:
Genres are….
Genres are not…..

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Now develop your sentences into a
paragraph about genres:
Genres are responses to recurring situations. According to Amy Devitt, a genre theorist,
genres “developbecause they respond appropriately to situations that writers encounter
repeatedly. In principle, that is, writers first respond in fitting ways and hence similarly to
recurring situations” (576). What Devitt means is that rather than being containers into
which content is inserted, genres are general patterns developed by communities that
continue to change as the community’s needs develop. Devitt further develops her
discussion of genres in the article, “Materiality and Genre in the Study of Discourse
Communities,” which she wrote along with Anis Bawarshi and Mary Jo Reiff. In this article,
the three researchers give examples of how genres are developed by communities in order
to meet specific needs. For example, AnishBawarshi illustrates the genre of the Patient
Medical History Form by explaining that this form “is a good way to understand how
doctors function and how they treat us as patients” (550). The structure of this form, which
asks patients to list their insurance information and annual income, reveals the value that
doctors’ offices often place on earning an income from their services. Devitt, Bawarshi, and
Reiff counter the understanding of genres as static formats, arguing that genres are
developed by discourse communities to get things accomplished.

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Then, introduce your disciplines
Since, according to various genre theorists, genres reveal
useful information regarding the values and goals of discourse
communities, I will be using the genres of a community that I
plan to enter as a way of analyzing how to communicate with
that group. I have chosen to study _______ discipline, because
_____. In order to analyze appropriate methods of
communication for that group, I will be analyzing three articles
from the field, looking specifically at the genre settings,
participants, features, subjects, patterns.

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Citing your sources
You should use the citation formats appropriate to your
disciplines. Use your articles as examples. In general, the citation
formats should follow one of these styles:
APA: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
MLA: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Chicago: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/2/
Search for the appropriate type of text to cite, and then follow the
guidelines. Most of your sources will be “academic articles
accessed through an online database.”

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Peer Review
Look through the different citation formats, and decide which
format your discipline follows. Then, find a table with people
who are all using that same format. Swap papers with one
person at your table.

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Peer Review Structure
 First, read through the entire paper, marking anything that you
think might need revision. If you are working on a computer, feel
free to use track changes. Save the document as “peer review
draft”
 Circle any area in the document where you think a quote or
example would be helpful
 Once you have read through your partner’s paper, write a letter to
them that discusses:
 The strengths of the analysis
 The biggest issue that you can identify
 Three specific suggestions for improvement
 Either save the letter on the computer or hand write. Swap with another
person.
 Work on citations together, if you’d like.