Many view genre as a property of writing rather than a way to understand how to write efficiently. Grasping the concept of genre can help explain the way a reader confronts, interprets, acknowledges, and shapes their text. Genre emphasizes learning from the past and the society in order to compose a piece of writing that incorporates rhetoric. In other words, the writer should analyze past genres to see which ones effectively persuaded their audience. Miller mentions in her journal that genre represents action and involves situation and motive. She supports her claims with the words of several professional writers including Kenneth Burke, Campbell, and Jamieson. These writers explain that “genre is composed of a constellation of recognizable forms bound together by an internal dynamic” (Miller 152). This means that genre is a combination of several elements that can be seen by the reader and all work together to achieve an unspoken goal determined by the writer. The idea of genre allows the writer to consider the influence their writing may have on the reader. A genre is a “rhetorical means for mediating private intentions and social demands” (Miller 155). To explain further, this supports that genre bridges the gap between the audience and the writer and allows the reader to begin understanding the writers purpose. As a reader, this can be extremely beneficial in appreciating a piece of writing and realizing why the writer made the decisions that they did.
Throughout her journal, Miller tries to persuade her readers that her analysis of genre is complete and understandable. She explains in her journal the shortcomings of several other genre theories. For instance, she mentions that other claims lack clearly defined “theoretical clarity and analytical agreement” (Miller 154). Additionally, she alleges that other claims possess a level of complexity that is too high for most readers to understand based on their experiences. Basically, what this means is that the definitions of genre are so advanced that many people are unable to understand their meanings. Genres exist at various levels of abstraction from the very broad to the very specific. In order to fully grasp the concept of genre, the reader must be able to think in several different ways.
The relationship between rhetoric and its context is essential to understanding genre as a form of rhetorical action. It is the rules that tell the reader how to combine the nature of writing and the substance. These rules provide the writer with the tools to connect the structure and word choice of writing to the meaning behind it. Being able to point out the meaning in a piece of writing makes it much more meaningful for the reader. From personal experience, while reading a persuasive piece of writing, I go into reading with a much more open mind because I know that the author is hoping to change my opinions on a matter. In an attempt to give the author a fair chance, I am much more impartial than I would have been if the persuasion caught me off guard.
Genres are often shown in patterns and are made up of several strategies. These strategies are determined by the writer through understanding the public. It acquires meaning from social context. This definition of social context varies from culture to culture. Therefore, genre is continuously evolving and is an open concept. This can make it difficult to define genre as a whole. One of the most important qualities of genre is that it helps to establish a sense of cultural experience around us. Genres can serve both as a guide to cultural patterns and as a way to explore different forms of writing. Overall, genre serves as a key to understanding how to participate and contribute to public action. Both of which are important for a writer to understand so they can create a rhetorical piece.
In general, I agree with Jum’s thoughts on the reading. A part of Miller’s writing that stood out to both of us was when Miller touched on looking through past genres to see which ones were effective and how can present writer’s write similarly. Classifying discourse into genres is dependent on social constructs. Miller quoted Alfred Schutz to describe the social constructs known as situations. Although individually, our perceptions of scenarios may differ, but if our perceptions are relevant now, there is a good chance someone in the past has also had that same relevant perception and that provides us with an already accepted social construct to base our writing around, a genre.
As Jum has noticed, genres depend deeply on the writer’s surrounding culture. Going back to situations as social constructs, eulogies differ from culture to culture. As one culture may mourn the death of a loved one and produce a sad eulogy, another may turn this situation into a rejoicing of their loved one’s eternal life and focus on the positives. Jum wrote “Genre serves as a key to understanding how to participate and contribute to public action.” Immediately, I am reminded of how great rhetorers have a profound understanding of their audience and know how to write to them. Writers must understand their audience, for quality rhetoric, and the socially acceptable constructs of the audience’s culture, for quality genre.