While I found the Kress and Jakobs readings to be fascinating, I'm not really compelled to write about them. I personally have always had issues with defining "genres" (usually music genres), and I'm not sure if Kress is calling for a new genre system or a simple recognition of various genres (and the freedom to combine or make new genres as needed). He says:
"My preferred solution is to accept, to begin with, that mixing is normal, in whatever domain, and at whatever level...mixed genres exist in written text, though they have been somewhat of a theoretical embarrassment. Mixed genres exist in multimodal, or mono-modal, nonverbal texts. The question is, what do we call generically mixed texts in writing?
In my approach, where genre does not name the text, but an aspect of the text’s organization (though I am happy to name the whole text after its dominant generic features -as in "interview”), there is no problem in saying that a text can be and in many cases will be genetically mixed."(52)
So...mixing genres is normal but it has been a theoretical embarrassment? I wish we had some examples of that (unless he's referring to the lab reports...).
Anyway, I don't think we should be so concerned with what to call new genres as much as we should know how to use them.
On to the UC Davis protests Doug posted about on our course page.
I was really impressed by the number of cameras (more like smartphones and even some iPads). In fact, there were probably more people holding cameras than not. But were the people holding cameras protestors? Apparently not, because one of them even got a smile from a police officer who politely directed him/her to an appropriate filming location. The people getting pepper sprayed were sitting on the ground linking arms—not filming. However, some filmers did participate in the chanting.
The protest might have been more moving if the people seemed more interested in participating than recording.
That's a strong statement. The protest was moving. It gave me goosebumps. I was shocked at the number of police officers that got paid to forcefully remove students from their own campus.
Really? There's not enough real crime going on? Not enough to do?
Also, I do think that recording events like this is essential in today's society—people like real-life evidence, and video is great for that. I also know that the recording devices probably came out in force at the same time as the police. But, you know, maybe 10 different angles would suffice.
And I'm confused as to how the police chose who to drag away from the protest. The people sitting up the straightest?
Anyway, I don't know much about the whole situation but it seems like peaceful protests are gaining power these days. There's something scary about large quantities of people posting up in one place watching you. And I think that's still the strongest rhetoric humans have.
When I saw that UC Davis video, I immediately thought about the Rodney King beatings, yet for some reason that appears to have more of an impact and got more media attention than how police are currently acting right now. My theory is that when the Rodney King incident happened, it was maybe not a brand new concept to video tape police officers acting irrationally, but it wasn't used at the full extent that it was used before then. Then with the UC Davis protest, people video tape these irrational police actions being captured on video and just shrug it off like it's a normal occasion. That's pretty sad.
ReplyDelete"There's something scary about large quantities of people posting up in one place watching you. And I think that's still the strongest rhetoric humans have." That's a powerful statement. Reminds me of the beginning of our class and the idea of rhetoric as connection.
ReplyDeleteAlso liked the idea of genre being more connected to an aspect of its function, than its form.
But those 'labels' do come in mighty hands, especially in communicating ideas. I mean, we gotta call it something.
Spencer, I was interested that you tied the Rodney King beatings to this incident as well. I think, though, that although you make a good point, another reason the RK beating was made more of by media is that it became a touchstone for *racism*-rooted police brutality. Maybe I'm missing it, but so far, I haven't really seen a reason--racial or otherwise-- for these police actions that look so brutal to me. (I'm not saying that the actions are justified--by any means.)
ReplyDeleteKaren, I liked that you talked about this--I haven't heard too many students discuss it, and I wanted to. There *is* something very intimidating about large crowds set up to protest, isn't there? Even peaceful ones, and I'd agree--watching the rhetoric in action induced chills--it was powerful.
I just about became sick watching that one officer so smuggly pepper-spraying and then the dragging away of protesters as well. Like you, I too wondered how they chose, and my guess would be, they meant to make an example, and show they were serious, just as the crowd of protesters showed in return their own dedication.
Again, not condoning the cops action, I can't help but wonder what it would be like to be a police officer there that day: maybe have a degree--even from UC Davis, maybe have become an officer to help people and make the world a better place to live--maybe with family that are in college and parents who'd protested in their day. And then get the urgent call to run down there to campus in full riot gear--maybe having never given the whole situation much thought prior to that moment(that wasn't very conducive to thought). I'd have not pulled the pepper spray, I'd think I'd have hung back, but I have to wonder: the police were under legal orders (to which there are severe consequences for disobeying); how many of the cops were walking around there, trying to get some sort of grip on *who* they were supposed to protect, and what that protection might look like?
I know I'd rather have suffered with the protesters than be one of those cops who, only after they reacted as their training taught them, had a chance to think it all through and feel regret (This excludes "Casually Pepper Spray Everything Cop", who seemed to have waited since kindergarten tauntings to get back at a world that wouldn't listen to him...)
Karen: I believe that the people filming are a vital part of protest today, especially in a country that creates "free speech zones" and bars the press from entering. The individuals recording livestreams in Zucotti park, Tahir square, or the streets of Syria are participating just as much as anyone else, and serve an important function.
ReplyDeleteSomehow I doubt any of the campus officers have degrees from UC Davis. The fact that none of the other officers jumped in and stopped such an obvious abuse of authority speaks volumes about the morals of the officers. I guess my question, after seeing hundreds of videos of police brutality from protests around the country, is why? These are officers who are facing income cuts and the same economic woes as the protestors that are upset. Perhaps its just some sort of weird machismo police officer culture, or a power trip.
Loved your last statement. Some of the most powerful stuff I've read all semester.
ReplyDeleteI like how you say that everything is a mixed genre. I want to make that broader and just say that nothing and no one fit in one category, and it's stupid to attempt to fit them anyway. When did we decide we needed to have such a distinction between everything? I much prefer a blend :)