Unit 2: Breaking the “Rules”
As we have learned from unit 1, genres, when placed in contexts, oftentimes appear to have some pretty specific criteria and characteristics. But what if one was to manipulate the characteristics of these written genres? I’m not talking about an all-out overhaul, but a slight change to one or two of those characteristics. I’m talking about something called genre juxtaposition, the placing of one or more characteristics of one genre into the format/constructs of another genre. We could also call this breaking one of those “rules” or “constraints” that we’ve talked about. Consider these examples:
· A friend hands you an academic essay to look over, but it is written in a nonstandard dialect of English or even the text message “dialect.”
· You go to the first day of class, and the teacher hands out the syllabus. Except that this syllabus is a restaurant menu. Weird.
· Those white boards on the doors of nearly every dorm room with all kinds of messages written on them? Someone has decided to place theirs on the doors to Stevenson Hall instead.
These examples play with what is deemed appropriate in regards to the particular language use, content, and even location of different written genres. The purpose of this unit is to somehow change the genre constructs of a created written piece, but do it just slightly enough that it makes someone feel a bit uneasy, unsure of how to handle the work, or who knows what. How do you think people would react to these changes? How would you react?
In this unit, this is what we will be attempting to discover. While you began to research writing in the initial unit, you will now officially become “writing researchers” or even just “researchers.” In groups of three (or whatever works out…), you will come up with some sort of genre juxtaposition piece and research project then implement that actual research to uncover some of the “hidden” or “common sense” ways that people view writing, to be documented in your research findings report. Perhaps in the process, you will also begin to question your own beliefs about language and writing, as well.
Important Dates to Remember… and they are, once again, subject to change!
Assignment/Project Part Due Date: What’s Due:
Monday, February 20 Bring in an example of a written genre (anything!)
Wednesday, February 22 Read Jackson, “Breaking Down Grammatical Snobbery…” in GRWJ pg. 55
Monday, February 27 Bring ideas for project/research questions to class
Friday, March 2: Due: Halfway learning blog, Research proposal, Genre juxtaposition piece
Wed, March 7-Friday, March 16 No Class: Out of Academic Trip; Spring Break
Wednesday, March 21 Due: Research project design
Wednesday, March 28 Bring rough drafts of research findings to class
Friday, March 30 Due: Final learning blog, Research findings, Group contribution report
Your final grade on this project will include these aspects turned in at various due dates: 110 points
· Genre juxtaposition/blending/breaking the rules “artifact’/writing sample created (March 2; March 30)
· Research proposal (March 2; March 30)
· Research project design (March 21; March 30)
· Research findings report (March 30): 50 points, taken in conjunction with the three previous parts to this project
· Group contribution report (March 30): 10 points
· The two learning blogs to document your learning are half of your unit grade! (March 2, March 30): 40 points, or 20 points each
· Participation, or all the other stuff that we do in class to help you (throughout the unit): 10 points
Working together, we will help each other construct what the research proposals, designs, and findings reports will look like to help meet our varied research questions. The basis for this unit will help take us into our final unit for this class.
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