I think that when we choose a genre to write, we are first thinking about our topic. After considering the topic we are writing about, we have to think about the best way to convey this information to our target audience. Once the target audience and topic are defined, it is then time to choose a genre of writing. In the reading, when discussing society’s impact on genre, Miller says, “… a society establishes a way of ‘acting together’. It does not lend itself to taxonomy, for genres change, evolve, and decay; the number of genres current in any society is indeterminate and depends upon the complexity and diversity of the society”. I think this quote does a good job of explaining Miller’s ideas regarding society and genre. She talks about how every society is different and every group of people will react to different genres in different ways. I think that there is not one genre of writing that will fit the needs of every demographic. This is why it is so important to know the audience you are trying to reach. The same genre of writing can be used to write for different audiences, but they may be used in different ways. This is because there are other elements to take in to consideration when writing. For example, things like word choice and the audience’s reading level are extremely important when writing for a specific group of people. Later in the reading, Miller says, “genres serve as keys to understanding how to participate in the actions of a community”. In this quote, I think she is talking about the importance of audience when choosing a genre to write about. I think that this article will benefit my own writing for this class. I need to be able to pinpoint the best way to reach my target audience. I hope that through further consideration, I will be able to find the best way to communicate my message.
2 thoughts on “Society and Genre”
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In the beginning of your blog post, you state that once a target audience and topic is clearly defined, it is time to select a genre. Are there any other factors that influence the selection of a genre? I think there are a couple of other things that may play a role. For example, I think the means of distribution and timing may be influential.
I really like how you went into detail about how different demographics will respond to specific genres differently. It is essential to keep things like word choice suitable for your audience. I believe that it is a very important point to make, and it will help to keep in mind while constructing our drafts.
Additionally, it may be necessary to consider genre as a social action. Trying to think ahead and plan how your audience may react and how you can influence that is imperative when attempting to convey a message.
I definitely agree with you and Miller about the inadequacy of genre in speaking to every demographic. During Monday’s class I was really thinking about genre classification as it related to the 2016 presidential election. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were routinely giving campaign speeches and stumping around the country, but the intent behind each one was very different. But other than their classification they were very unlike one another. Clinton was, generally, explaining in typical politispeak about policy and implementation and asking for votes. Trump’s speeches were much more interactive, fun (for his supporters). Some kind of stand-up comedy politicking.
I also agree about choosing the right vocabulary. I was listening to an interview with Trevor Noah, host of the Daily Show on Comedy Central, and he spoke about how he wanted to incorporate words he had been learning. Despite speaking at a higher level, the audience was less receptive to his act because many of them didn’t understand what he was saying.