1.
Answer:
He says that rhetorical genres are always guided by a purpose of the message that is being conveyed and the audience it is directed towards. And it happens whether we are aware of it or not. According to Dirk, genres aren't just the officially recognized genres in literature or film (for example a detective novel, a mystery movie or video game). They are types of communication that all of us employ on a daily basis - for example, a social media post is a genre that abides by certain rules with a purpose to make someone laugh, to express a witty remark, etc. That is not to say that genre rules can't or mustn't be broken though. The more we master a particular genre, the easier it will be to break its rules and conventions while still achieving the purpose.
Explanation:
"Because you know how these genres function as social actions, you can quite accurately predict how they function rhetorically (...). Possibly without even thinking about it, you were recognizing the rhetorical situation of your action and choosing to act in a manner that would result in the outcome you desired. I imagine that you would probably not share a risque joke with your mom, send a 'Hey Buddy' email to your professor, or update your Face.book status as 'X has a huge wart on his foot.'"
So, if I intend to write a resume, I will (consciously or not) use all the rhetorical devices that'll help me achieve my purpose (getting the job). The sentences will be short and succinct, the tone professional, the style direct and down-to-earth. Genres as rhetorical structures aren't abstract notions that teachers use to confuse us. They are direct consequences of our sociability, and tools we use to communicate effectively.
2.
Answer:
Let's say a tweet and an editorial.
Explanation:
A tweet is a short social media post that is often directed towards a younger, educated audience. Because a tweet's length is limited to 280 characters, the author needs to face the topic head-on, without any redundant or distracting stylistic elements. Purposes and intentions can vary, but one of the most common purposes is to provoke or take a stand on a (often controversial) matter.
Real-life example from the user called @ molly7anne: "<em>my fiance and I started a baby jar & every time someone asks when we’re going to have kids we put a dollar in & when the jar is full we will spend it on whatever we want bc we don’t have kids</em>"
So the purpose was to challenge and even ridicule the social convention of starting a nuclear family at a certain age. Everything is subjected to this purpose - style (very concise), lack of capitalization and punctuation, use of abbreviations and slang.
On the other hand, an editorial is a typically longer article in a newspaper or a magazine that addresses some current issue. Since it's not a field report but an opinion piece, the writer can assume a more subjective tone in contract to a matter-of-factly tone of a typical news piece. Let's take a look at a recent editorial called "The Guardian view on Germany’s far right: a clear and present danger". As we can see from the title already, the author posits that his or her article reflects the political stance of the whole editorial board of the newspaper. Also, he or she clearly takes a stand and denounces a political faction in Germany. The article is not neutral in tone. On the contrary, it borders on a moral judgment.
