Devitt Journal
Summary
Devitt, Amy J. "Generalizing about Genre: New Conceptions of an Old Concept." (n.d.): n. pag. Rpt. in : College Composition and Communication. Vol. 44. N.p.: National Council of Teachers of English, 1993. 573-86. Web.
In Devitt’s article the writer discusses the term of genre. There are different concepts of genre that Devitt wants people to understand. These differing understandings threaten our understanding of writing. Genre is not just about form and text anymore; it now branches across other mediums. Devitt says that genre leaves behind the idea that it just has to do with effects, and instead looks at the sources of these effects as well. Some people still look at genre as simply for classification. Instead it has to do with reoccurring rhetorical situations and the need to address them. We also have to consider how content and form relate and differ from one another. If the understanding of genre would become clearer it could lead to a better, more unified, understanding about writing.
Analysis
This article is a bit more difficult to understand than the other one with Devitt, so I was not able to summarize as much about it. It sometimes seems unclear which understanding of genre Devitt is addressing. In class we discussed rhetorical and formal elements as well as content and how they relate to Devitt’s definition of genre. Rhetorical aspects including organization, structure, voice, diction, and tone just contribute to the genre. Formal aspects include the format, layout, appearance, and medium of the genre. And the content is what is included in the genre. All these parts are important to the overall makeup and understanding of the theory of genre, and the help us apply genre to our own discourse communities. For example, a medical journal has a combination of these elements to make it a unique genre. It has a certain tone and organization, it is formatted a specific way, and its content includes medical jargon that the average person would not understand. Devitt seems to be saying that some people look at these elements separately when looking at genre, when really they go hand in hand.