Devitt et al. Summaries

Amy J. Devitt Summary:

Devitt uses the jury instruction as an example of a conflict between specialists and non-specialists. The jury instruction is written by lawyers and given to the juries, so that they can do their duty properly. However, the language of the instructions could use words in a different way, causing confusion among the jury. The rhetorical purposes between the ones who write the book and the ones who act according to the book are also different. In an ideal situation, both parties would want to have a just decision and verdict, but they also have other purposes. Lawyers want to build reputation and money while juries want to merely speed up the trial in order to return to their normal lives. Other examples Devitt uses are ballots and tax forms. Tax forms are designed by the IRS but people hire specialists to do them because they are so complicated. Voters do not understand how the machines work, so they may cause some sort of error that would make their vote invalid, which is why there would be a need for specialists at the voting place to correct those mistakes. Devitt argues that although genres are used as communication between specialists and non-members of the community, they can become troublesome due to difference between languages spoken between the two groups and their rhetorical purposes.

Anis Bawarshi Summary:

Bawarshi further explains the role of the genre and its purpose within the discourse community. He states that a genre "is in the sum of exchanges such as this one, exchanges constituted by the various and sometimes conflicting genres used in different settings, that individuals compose in and compose discourse communities" (552). The genre helps set up interactions between two people and establishes their roles. An example he uses is the Patient Medical History Form. The genre asks for various information of the patient. The doctor then uses this information as a way to identify how and what he should speak to the patient. Bawarshi argues, "In this way, the genre is a site for the exchange of language within which participants influence one another and identify their discourse communities" (551). A genre is a heavily important form of text that helps keep discourse communities active and communication alive.

Mary Jo Reiff Summary:

Reiff examines genres as an instruction on how students can interact within a discourse community. However, she argues that once the text is removed from the context, the real genre that should be studied is through real life interactions where the genre is applied. In addition, genres can also be used to learn. Marilyn lists three ways: "learning genres, or widening students' genre repertoires; learning about genres, or fostering awareness [. . .] and learning through genres, or using genres as tools for thinking and learning in particular situations" (555). By applying ethnography in the classroom, students become fluent in their communities. They become both observers and members of the discourse community. They also have a more in-depth understanding of the language used. In addition, by applying ethnography, students develop more advanced thinking about understanding particular situations.