Maja Veselinovic

ENC 1102 MW 3:30-4:20

Leslie Wolcott
February 18, 2015

The definition of genre, has been put up for much controversy in recent years. Old-school
definitions were very vague and did not address the subject very accurately. Amy Devitt, a
professor at the University of Kansas and author of various articles on genre, writes that our old
methods of defining genre as a form divides form from content when in reality, they are one
entity (Devitt,574). This traditional view of genre is problematic. It lead Devitt, as well as her
colleagues, Reiff and Bawarshi, to combine their knowledge into an article on genre and
discourse communities. Mary Jo Reiff, also a professor at the University of Kansas, states as
typical responses to repeated social situations, genres are rhetorical maps that chart familiar or
frequently traveled communicative paths (Devitt, Bawarshi, Reiff, 553). This new definition is
much more descriptive and leaves out any room for misconceptions. The genre I am going to
analyze is online magazine articles published by international relations groups found at various
universities. I would like to see how people studying in my discourse community communicate
their ideas and opinions on foreign policy through online magazines.
The goal of the international relations discourse community is to come up with new ways
to solve problems going on around the world. They try to reach this goal through the use of free
speech and debates. Online magazines published by universities help reach the goal of the
discourse community because they allow a different demographic to voice their opinions on

worldwide issues. Rather than only hearing the opinions of older generations, we can hear from
the younger generations who are in universities and colleges now. Their thoughts are fresh,
diverse, and will lead to more problem solving.
I chose three articles from three different schools of high ranking; Yale, Harvard, and
Cornell. I already knew of the Harvard International Review and it inspired me to search for
other university based international relations magazines. They are very easy to come across
which leads to my first claim that the publishers make it very accessible so their opinions and
stories can be seen by more people. Because my discourse community is very global and affects
everyone, it is important for documents regarding it are very easy to access. This invites a variety
of people to participate in the communication of their information. People who are professionals
in the field as well as people who are just interested in foreign politics are able to read this.
Having easy access to the articles encourages discussion from more of the population which
leads to helping the discourse community reach its goal. All three articles allow comments on
their articles for the readers. This enables more conversation and discussion to occur within the
community. People can input their own ideas and express their beliefs on the controversial topics
circulating the world through this genre.
Although the texts do invite many to join in the discussion, they exclude people who do
not speak English or are blind. This is due to the fact that the articles are only written in English
and do not offer any assistance to readers of different language backgrounds as well as readers
with disabilities. This is an inherent problem that many genres look over. Because the genre is
academic based, they write in English. They are accustomed to writing in this form and it can be
inferred that they looked over this limitation. The texts also are limited to people with internet
service. If you are incapable of finding an internet source, you are left out in reading these

articles. Internet service typically implies access to a better education and intelligence. The genre
might exclude people without internet service because they believe they need the most intelligent
to debate on worldly topics.
Articles found in these magazines are centered on global politics and issues which
correlates with my discourse community. They discuss a wide variety of topics, such as human
rights, environmental problems, laws, etc. The writers use these magazines to debate important
world issues. Because of the turmoil in the Middle East, many of the articles were centered on
the fight against ISIS. The three articles I chose all discussed their knowledge on the subject and
their opinions on it.
Evidence plays a large role in this discourse community. In international relations, the
people discussing issues need evidence to back up their claims and make their arguments more
credible. Credible data, interviews, speeches, laws, dates, and events all count as evidence in this
discourse community. In the texts from Harvard International Review and The Diplomacist,
outside sources are linked directly. Readers can click on the links for further information on
certain details. It can be inferred that the writers do this so that the readers have an easier time
understanding the texts as well as proving their arguments are based on sound sources. The
article from The Diplomacist, for example, discusses a draft proposal to Congress for the
authorization to use military force and links the draft proposal to show the credibility of the
authors knowledge. Without credibility, the author would have an empty argument and would
cease to persuade readers into believing what he has to say is right. The writer of the Harvard
International Review article uses philosophical examples from Nietzsche to create a strong
argument for his claim. Because he uses philosophies as his evidence, his argument is very
strong and leaves no room for opposing arguments.

Formatting is also a large part in how these documents are formed. All three of the
documents consist of large headings and are divided up by many smaller paragraphs with one
idea to each paragraph. For example, the text from Yale Global Online is divided into
subheadings under the title for even more organization and focus. The document is much easier
to read because of the titles and subheadings. This helps keep the readers focused and not lose
them halfway through. Longer paragraphs tend to confuse readers and arent easy to read. The
level of easiness of the text is very important to the discourse community because it allows more
people to join in on discussions. The discourse community wants more people to participate in it
because of the global level of discussion.
Given all these points, one can see that the international relations discourse communitys
goal of constructing new methods of foreign policy is aided with the writings in university based
online magazines. The magazines help bring in a new demographic of speakers into the field as
well as creates connections to new thoughts and philosophies. The genre helps create discussions
and involve more people in global politics. I find this discourse community particularly
appealing to me because I love adding in my own opinions and helping mold the future. I like the
idea that what I say could be heard and have some effect on a global scale. Through this
discourse community, I would love to influence the world in some way, even if it is miniscule.

Works Cited
Inkeles, Isaac. "Understanding the Enemy." Harvard International Review. N.p., 25 Aug. 2014.
Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
Miller, Aaron D. "The Fight Against ISIS After the Death of Jordan's Pilot." The Fight Against
ISIS After The Death Of Jordan's Pilot. The Whitney and Betty MacMillan Center for
International and Area Studies, 6 Feb. 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
Papageorgiou, Demetri. "The Makings of Another Forever War." RSS. The Diplomacist and
Cornell International Affairs Review, 15 Feb. 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.