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Writing Project 1: Greeks and Genres

Name: Hunter Lynch Grade: 8/10


Criteria Needs more work Strong
Opening: the paper is introduced appropriately for the assignment
so that the reader is clear about the writer’s intention.

Appropriate context is provided.

The writer has encouraged a reader’s interest.

The thesis is clear and appropriate for the assignment.

Readability—organization, clarity, cohesion, and flow: the


ideas are organized and structured in a manner appropriate for
the assignment

The student shows skill and knowledge of transitions and bridge


building to help the reader follow the flow of ideas.

Paragraphs are unified around one idea and one point.

Sentences are constructed and arranged effectively to show


variety, clarity, and concision.

Word choice is precise, clear, effective, appropriate, and


interesting.
Development: the ideas and points are clearly and appropriately
developed with sufficient details so as to show depth of thought
and ability to link generalizations and main points with specific
support.

Development goes beyond restating others’ words and work and


includes the writer’s own analysis and explanation/reasoning.

Outside sources are accurately and honestly introduced,


quoted, paraphrased, summarized, integrated, and
documented.
Closing: the piece of writing is concluded in a way that is
appropriate for the purpose and audience (closing statement)

The conclusion provides coherence with the intention noted in


the introduction and the support provided in the development of
the piece of writing.

Writing conventions—compassion and consideration for the


reader: shows care in revising, editing, and proofreading so as to
eliminate most problems with standard English usage, syntax,
punctuation, spelling, and grammar. Although the reader might
encounter an occasional error, there should be no pattern of errors;
shows precise and consistent adherence to documentation
conventions when outside sources are used.
April 23, 2019

Dear Reader,

Constructing this paper has given me a stable foundation that I will use for all future writing
projects. I was able to dive into the three most important stages of this process in order to create
a well-developed paper that adequately meets all of the requirements listed in the prompt. The
first leg was the research stage, where I gathered information from various authors about
discourse community guidelines and genres as well as observing my own community to
understand where and what I would analyze in the paper. After I dissected this information, I was
onto the second phase of the project, where I wrote multiple smaller drafts and one full rough
draft of the final paper that I and other classmates ultimately reviewed and critiqued to become
the best paper possible. The final step in the writing process was considering all feedback and
comments, and conclusively developing my final draft of the paper, which is a collection of my
knowledge, research, student criticism, and hard-work.

During this process, I decided on three writing choices that I felt were the best fit for my writing
style, the first being the topic of the paper. I wrote about Greek life because I am very passionate
about it, and consistently being active in my community enabled me to do constant research.
Secondly, I chose to use a more formal tone with a mostly third-person viewpoint that had very
few mentions of myself, purely because I feel it has a more academically appropriate tone while
reading. My third choice was using a large word choice. I used a thesaurus constantly because
writing sounds more intelligent when certain words are not constantly repeated.

Reading John Swales The Concept of a Discourse Community helped me greatly through this
process because it helped me identify the main characteristics of my social location that was
necessary to delve on in the essay. Kerry Dirk was also an important read because I was able to
understand the full concept of what a genre really is and how prevalent they are in our lives.

If I had more time to work on this paper, I would have incorporated more genres into my writing.
I would have liked to discuss other genres that are very common throughout Greek life. I would
appreciate feedback about whether or not my paper was repetitive, and also about my transitions
from paragraph to paragraph. Commented [MOU1]: See my comments below. (With
regard to transitions, you did a good job!)

Sincerely,

Hunter Lynch
PB1: Greek Life
The discourse community that I am choosing to focus on is an IFC fraternity associated

with UCSB. I choose this to focus my writing on because it is an organization that I am very

passionate about, and it adequately meets the requirements to be considered a discourse

community.

The first condition that is outlined by John Swales in his article titled The Concept of

Discourse Community is that a set of rules must be agreed upon by members of the specific

community. My fraternity does indeed meet this criterion, having the most important rule being

that everyone is treated as a member of a collective family. While we are not tied by blood, we

are to act as a support group as a family would. This along with other rules such as respect

towards elder members, cooperation on household chores, etc. is the governing body that all

members must follow for inclusion into the social location.

Secondly, the fraternity meets the guideline that there must be a clear form of

communication between all members. Every member speaks and writes English as a medium of

communication. Communication between all the brothers can be traced to face-to-face contact,

emails, text messages, and notes that may be left around the house. Most frequent are texts,

which is the main mechanism that keeps everyone connected. This communication ensures that

all the brothers are up to date on all happenings that go on in the house.

The third criteria met by the fraternity is that participation must grant access to important

information that leads to the completion of the shared goal. This is done through philanthropy

events that inform the public of world issues that the fraternity is keen on helping. These events

raise money that is donated to the benefit of specific charities and organizations. The public is

welcomed at these events so that awareness is more widespread than just members of the

fraternity.
The fourth criteria are that it has developed a set of expectations that everyone should

follow in order to have a well-functioning community. It is expected that all members are keen

on social interaction, as that is one of the main goals of fraternities everywhere. A crucial genre

seen is the laid back style that is unique to the brothers.

The fraternity follows the fifth criteria which are that the communities need to be able to

create specialized terminology to communicate effectively. This is evident in the names of

fraternities, which are abbreviated in Greek letters and prominently featured on the outside of the

houses. There is also widespread slang that is unique to each fraternity.

Lastly, there are always people coming into and leaving the community through

recruitment of new members. Each fall and spring, fraternities recruit new members. These

incoming members are surrounded by existing members who decide if their values align. If so,

they will be admitted as a new brother to the group. Members are in the fraternity for life, so

death is the only way to leave.

PB2: Genre Analysis

The genre most commonly used regarding communication within Greek life would be the

text message. Used every day by every member, it is the main genre of communication. Texts
are sent to brothers in the house to quickly convey an idea, inform someone, or just to make a

joke. In order to adequately analyze text messages, it is crucial to consider context and function,

textual features and implied or assumed features.

Firstly, the context and function of text messages are to establish contact with the desired

recipient as quickly as possible. The recipient does not need to be unoccupied to receive the

message. Therefore, the sender can send his message and it can be received at any time after

being delivered. The sender will have a message to convey and using his phone, will send the

message to the desired recipient or recipients. The context of these messages varies greatly,

however. It can be as simple as saying “what’s up”, and it can be as complicated as having to

inform your brothers that all of the good cereal has been consumed. In general, anything can be

said through text, so there are unlimited subject matters to be discussed. Within my fraternity,

text messages are used more commonly for specific purposes. This includes asking people out to

eat, inviting girls to parties, or scheduling plans for the week. Texts are so crucial because the

reader and writer can both establish connections with each other with the ease of typing. There is

no need to ensure that both people have time to talk on the phone because everything can be

coordinated within three to four messages. Readers and writers get the satisfaction of

communicating with one another without having to confer face to face or with time restraints.

Secondly, the textual features of a text message vary significantly based on the personal

styles of each writer. In general, though, text messages have short sentences, many abbreviations,

and a lack of correct grammar/punctuation. The point of text messages is to be direct and to the

point, so wordy sentences will not be included for the most part. Writers attempt to persuade the

readers through clever wording and amusing jokes that may or may not be appropriate. Many

rhetoric appeals are used so that the text stands out amongst a sea of other texts the reader may
have received. They may be absurd, canny, tacky, or written with visible emotion, all of which

are written with the goal of being noticed by the reader. There is no standard format of how to

write a text, just a general length limit of three sentences per text. Slang is common in texts,

because they may shorten the length of the text, or elicit a response from the reader. Slang can be

found in any text sent by brothers, excluding ones sent to their mothers. To emphasize how

prevalent slang is within the Greek organization, I will dive into all the possible slang for the

word “friend”: homie, homeboy, bro, bruh, B, G, kid, guy, dude, buddy, dawg, pal, boy, etc. This

example proves that because texting is so informal, it makes slang commonplace. There is no

right or wrong format for a text, but most people follow the general patterns described.

Thirdly, the implied and assumed features are relatively clear. Readers and writers must

appreciate the quick conversations that happen through text. Lengthy human conversations are

no longer necessary, and many people appreciate this, especially for quick conversations that do

not need to be time-consuming. Anyone with a phone and people to message is invited to

participate. However, texts sent between two people exclude everyone else in the world because

they are private conversations. The most relevant content within text messages is schedules and

plans because they require a response to ensure both parties will attend. The writers’ attitude

towards the reader and world are casual because the texts are meant to be casual encounters.

Within my discourse community of greek life, texts are so important. All members can

quickly communicate with each other. It is crucial for event planning, future social interactions,

and simple conversations. It simplifies language connections and is casual because there is no

need for perfect writing. All things considered, text messages are the most important genre used

in the fraternity, and its use makes life simpler for both readers and writers.
1. Are my ideas repetitive throughout the essay?

2. Do the project builders need strong introductions and conclusions?

Working Draft: Greeks and Genres

To give a specific definition of exactly what a discourse community is is about as simple

as a male student (accompanied by no girls) attempting to get into a frat party. In other words, it

is certainly challenging. But surprisingly enough, discourse communities can be illustrated by

this very group of people, referred to as Greek life. Greek life is a connection of frats and

sororities that reside in connection with colleges and universities across the nation. It contains

groups of like-minded people who have the main goals of doing community service, forming
strong human connections, and being strong proponents of campus social life. The common set

of ideas on which the group is governed is that all members of the fraternity are considered

brothers. Everyone is treated as a member of a collective family, that while we are not tied by

blood, we act as a support group as a family would. The social behavior that is unique to our

members is that we all thrive on frequent social interaction. All representatives of the fraternity

very much enjoy to be in the midst of social happenings and thrive being in the presence of

others. I choose this to focus my writing on because it is an organization that I am very

passionate about, and it adequately meets the requirements to be considered a discourse

community. As a member of a fraternal organization, I have been able to dissect the very nature

of Greek life and how it does indeed fall under the umbrella of a “social location”.

According to the author of The Concept of Discourse Community, English linguist John

Swales outlines six criteria that must be observed to be considered a discourse community. The

six criteria are the following: a set of rules must be agreed upon by members of the specific

community, there must be a clear form of communication between all members, participation

must grant access to important information that leads to the completion of the shared goal, there

is a developed set of expectations that everyone should follow in order to have a well-

functioning community, need to be able to create specialized terminology to communicate

effectively, and there are always people coming into and leaving the community through

recruitment of new members. He notes that in order to meet the criteria, all points must be

sufficiently satisfied. Once it is determined that a group is indeed a discourse community, it is

necessary to determine the genre upon which communication, which is the most essential aspect

of the community, is able to function.


The genre most commonly used regarding communication within Greek life would be the

text message. Used every day by every member, it is the main genre of communication. Texts

are sent to brothers in the house to quickly convey an idea, inform someone, or just to make a

joke. In order to adequately analyze text messages, it is crucial to consider context and function,

textual features and implied or assumed features.

The context and function of text messages are to establish contact with the desired

recipient as quickly as possible. The recipient does not need to be unoccupied to receive the

message. Therefore, the sender can send his message and it can be received at any time after

being delivered. The sender will have a message to convey and using his phone, will send the

message to the desired recipient or recipients. The context of these messages varies greatly,

however. It can be as simple as saying “what’s up”, and it can be as complicated as having to

inform your brothers that all of the good cereal has been consumed. In general, anything can be

said through text, so there are unlimited subject matters to be discussed. Within my fraternity,

text messages are used more commonly for specific purposes. This includes asking people out to

eat, inviting girls to parties, or scheduling plans for the week. Texts are so crucial because the

reader and writer can both establish connections with each other with the ease of typing. There is

no need to ensure that both people have time to talk on the phone because everything can be

coordinated within three to four messages. Readers and writers get the satisfaction of

communicating with one another without having to confer face to face or with time restraints.

Textual features of a text message vary significantly based on the personal styles of each

writer. In general, though, text messages have short sentences, many abbreviations, and a lack of

correct grammar/punctuation. The point of text messages is to be direct and to the point, so

wordy sentences will not be included for the most part. Writers attempt to persuade the readers
through clever wording and amusing jokes that may or may not be appropriate. Many rhetoric

appeals are used so that the text stands out amongst a sea of other texts the reader may have

received. They may be absurd, canny, tacky, or written with visible emotion, all of which are

written with the goal of being noticed by the reader. There is no standard format of how to write

a text, just a general length limit of three sentences per text. Slang is common in texts, because

they may shorten the length of the text, or elicit a response from the reader. Slang can be found

in any text sent by brothers, excluding ones sent to their mothers. To emphasize how prevalent

slang is within the Greek organization, I will dive into all the possible slang for the word

“friend”: homie, homeboy, bro, bruh, B, G, kid, guy, dude, buddy, dawg, pal, boy, etc. This

example proves that because texting is so informal, it makes slang commonplace. There is no

right or wrong format for a text, but most people follow the general patterns described.

The implied and assumed features regarding text messages are relatively clear. Readers

and writers must appreciate the quick conversations that happen through text. Lengthy human

conversations are no longer necessary, and many people appreciate this, especially for quick

conversations that do not need to be time-consuming. This shift away from extended phone calls

and in-person conversations has given rise for text messages to become the most popular

medium of communication. Anyone with a phone and people to message is invited to participate.

However, texts sent between two people exclude everyone else in the world because they are

private conversations. The most relevant content within text messages is schedules and plans

because they require a response to ensure both parties will attend. The writers’ attitude towards

the reader and world are casual because the texts are meant to be casual encounters.

To conclude, the social location must be a group in which a specific language, set of

ideas, or form of social behavior is unique to members within the community. Within my
discourse community of greek life, it is clear that texts are the genre which acts as the backbone

in which we are able to communicate. All members can instantly connect with each other, which

is crucial for event planning, future social interactions, and simple conversations. It simplifies

language connections while also being casual because there is no need for perfect writing in

common conversations (as long as the true message can still be deciphered). All things

considered, text messages are the most important genre used in the fraternity, and its use makes

life simpler for both readers and writers.


Final Draft: Greeks and Genres

To give a specific definition of a discourse community is about as simple as a male Deleted: exactly what
Deleted: is
student (accompanied by no girls) attempting to get into a frat party. In other words, it is Commented [MOU2]: I’m not sure whether this
comparison works very well and whether it is
seemingly hopeless. But surprisingly enough, discourse communities can be illustrated by this appropriate for a college paper.

very group of people, known as Greek life. Greek life is a connection of fraternities and Commented [MOU3]: I see how you’re trying to connect
the concept “discourse community” and Greek life but
there might be other (more effective) ways to do so.
sororities that reside in connection with colleges and universities across the nation. It contains
Formatted: Highlight

groups of like-minded people who have the main goals of intellectual awareness, social Deleted: s
Formatted: Highlight
responsibility, integrity, brotherly love and being strong proponents of campus social life. The Commented [MOU4]: Here you’re talking about both
sororities and fraternities. Perhaps, mutual respect will
be a better word choice.
common set of ideas on which the group is governed is that all members of the fraternity are

considered brothers. Everyone is treated as a member of a collective family, because while we

are not tied by blood, we act as a support group as would a family. The social behavior that is Commented [MOU5]: This construction should be
revised.
unique to our members is that we all thrive on frequent social interaction because all

representatives of the fraternity very much enjoy to be in the midst of social happenings and

thrive being in the presence of others. I choose to focus this project on this because it is an Commented [MOU6]: This sentence repeats the same
thought three times.
organization that I am very passionate about, and it adequately meets the requirements to be Deleted: my writing

considered a discourse community. As a member of a fraternal organization, I have been able to Commented [MOU7]: This introduction should explain
what a discourse community is (don’t forget to highlight
how it is different from a community). In addition, who
dissect the very nature of Greek life and how it does indeed fall under the umbrella of a “social set these requirements?

location”. Commented [MOU8]: While this part of your essay is


important, the prompt asks you to evaluate the social
role of a specific genre that functions in a discourse
community.

According to the author of “The Concept of Discourse Community,” English linguist Commented [MOU9]: Because it’s an article, it should
be in quotation marks.
John Swales outlines six criteria that must be observed to be considered a discourse community. Formatted: Font: Not Italic

The six criteria are the following: the group must have a set of rules must be agreed upon by

members of the specific community, there must be a clear form of communication between all
members, participation must grant access to important information that leads to the completion

of the shared goal, there is a developed set of expectations that everyone should follow in order

to have a well-functioning community, it is necessary to create specialized terminology to

communicate effectively, and there are always people coming into and leaving the community

through recruitment of new members. He notes that in order to meet the criteria, all points must

be sufficiently satisfied. Once it is determined that a group is indeed a discourse community, it is

necessary to determine the genre in which communication, which is the most essential aspect of

the community, is able to function. Commented [MOU10]: Citations?

The genre most commonly used regarding communication within Greek life would be the

text message. Used every day by every member, it is the main medium of communication. Texts

are sent to brothers in the house to quickly convey an idea, inform someone, or to simply make a

joke. In order to adequately analyze text messages, it is crucial to consider context and function,

textual features, and implied or assumed features.

The context and function of text messages is to establish contact with the desired

recipient as quickly as possible. The recipient does not need to be unoccupied to receive the

message. Therefore, the sender can send his message and it can be read at any time after being Deleted: received

delivered. The sender has a message to convey and using his phone, he/she will send the message

to the desired recipient or recipients. The context of these messages varies greatly, however. It

can be as simple as saying “what’s up”, and it can be as complicated as having to inform your

brothers that all of the good cereal has been consumed. In general, anything can be said through Commented [MOU11]: New idea? In the first half of this
paragraph, you discuss methods of sending and
receiving texts. Now you are moving to a completely
text, so there are unlimited subject matters to be discussed. Within my fraternity, text messages new idea.

are used more commonly for specific purposes, which includes asking people out to eat, inviting

girls to parties, or scheduling plans for the upcoming weeks. Texts are so crucial because the
reader and writer can both establish connections with each other with the ease of typing. There is

no need to ensure that both people have time to talk on the phone because everything can be

coordinated through only three to four messages. Readers and writers get the satisfaction of Commented [MOU12]: This sentence can be moved up
to the beginning of the paragraph. What do you think?
communicating with one another without having to confer face to face or with time restraints.

Textual features of a text message vary significantly according to the personal styles of

each writer. In general however, text messages have short sentences, many abbreviations, and a

lack of correct grammar/punctuation. The point of text messages is to be direct and to the point, Commented [MOU13]: “direct” and “to the point” are
close in their meaning. To avoid redundancy, pick just
one.
so wordy sentences will not be included for the most part. Writers attempt to persuade the

readers through clever wording and amusing jokes that may or may not be appropriate. Many

rhetoric appeals are used so that the text stands out amongst a sea of other texts the reader may

have received. They may be absurd, canny, tacky, and written with visible emotion, all of which

are written with the goal of being noticed by the reader. There is no standard format of how to

write a text, just a general length limit of three sentences per text. Slang is common in texts,

because they may shorten the length of the text, or elicit a response from the reader. Slang can be Commented [MOU14]: Examples? (+citations)

found in any text sent by brothers, excluding ones they send to their mothers. To emphasize how

prevalent slang is within the Greek organization, I will dive into all the possible slang for the

word “friend”: homie, homeboy, bro, bruh, B, G, kid, guy, dude, buddy, dawg, pal, boy, etc. This

example proves that because texting is so informal, it makes slang commonplace. There is no

right or wrong format for a text, but most people follow the general rules described.

The implied and assumed features regarding text messages are relatively clear. Readers

and writers must appreciate the quick conversations that happen through text. Lengthy human

conversations are no longer necessary, and many people appreciate this especially for quick

conversations that have no need to be time-consuming. This shift away from extended phone
calls and in-person conversations has given rise for text messages to become the most popular

form of communication. Anyone with a phone and friends to message is welcome to participate.

However, texts sent between two people exclude everyone else in the world because they are

private conversations. The most relevant content within text messages is schedules and plans

because they require a response to ensure both parties will attend. The writers’ attitude towards

the reader and world are casual because the texts are meant to be casual encounters.

To conclude, the social location must be a group in which a specific language, set of

ideas, or form of social behavior is unique to members within the community. Within my

discourse community of greek life, it is clear that texts are the genre which acts as the backbone

in which we are able to communicate. All members can instantly connect with each other,

whether it is for crucial event planning, future social interactions, and simple conversations. It

simplifies language connections while also being casual because there is no need for perfect

writing in common conversations (as long as the true message can still be deciphered). All things

considered, text messages are the most important genre used in the fraternity, and its use makes

life simpler for both readers and writers.

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