Somia Youssef Neha Milind English 1101 Genre Analysis Project Artifacts: 1. Holy book 2.

Advertisement for religious school on the bulletin board 3. Prayer schedule

13 Questions: 1. Where is the genre used? What kinds of activities happen here? What kinds of people come here? Do these people have a shared objective? The setting for the genres is a house of worship. This would include churches, mosques, temples, synagogues, shines, etc. The activities that happen here are both social and historical. Different activities include different methods of worship, educating people about a certain faith, and bringing groups of people who share a common religious identity together. The people who go to these houses of worship are either believers of the faith and they want to worship, or they could be people who want to learn about the religion. They all share the common objective of worshipping, and wanting to learning about the religion. 3. Who uses the genre and to do what? Does the user change for each genre piece? Why? How do you know? Religious people use each artifact as means for worship. The holy books are read and studied to understand the faith more appropriately. The religious schools are attended by people who want to learn in a religious environment, and the prayer schedule informs the believers of the times congregations, prayers, and sermons are set. The users of these artifacts are mainly people who believe in the faith. Nonbelievers, however, can also use the indicated artifacts to study about the faith, not necessarily to practice and exercise it as believers would. 4. What subjects does the genre discuss? All three artifacts are connected with both the social and historical genres. The subject of the holy book is to essentially explain the religion, and its historical roots. The books are read and studied collectively, so it socially brings the believers together because they all believe in the texts. The advertisement informs the believers about the religious studies. This is historical because the roots of education began in worshipping houses and was merged with religion; the religious school advertisement lets that historical tradition live on. It is also social because believers collaborate to learn and be educated in a religious environment. Finally, the prayer schedule is historical because prayers have been performed from years ago and tradition of it lives through the organization of setting specific times for prayer. The congregations and the prayers are social, as the believers pray together and develop a sense of brotherhood amongst themselves.

Somia Youssef Neha Milind English 1101 5. What relationships does the genre suggest? Brotherhood/sisterhood and spiritual relationships are developed through the genres. The artifacts allow for the spirituality to exist as they are all means of worship. Bonds are developed among the worshippers via the mentioned artifacts because it ties them all together to a unified goal of achieving spirituality. 6. What roles does the genre suggest for participants? Many worshippers would believe that worship is a duty and they would take advantage of the activities provided in their house of worship to satisfy this duty. The role assumed by the holy book is to inform, and the school advertisement to educate, and the prayer schedule to organize. This all allows the religious community to come together and satisfy their spiritual needs. 7. What kinds of language are used within this situation and genre pieces? The languages used are different for each house of worship. For example, in a mosque, the Quran is in Arabic, and the prayers are prayed in Arabic. Translation is included in the texts, and prayers are translated for non-Arabic speakers. The holy books use religious, and almost poetic language to beautify the meaning of the faith. The advertisements uses persuasive techniques to appeal to the worshipping audience. The prayer schedule uses very concise language to inform the worshippers of the system and the organization of worship. 8. What label would you put on this situation? The situation is worship, however, the means of worship changes, yet, the goal is collective: to worship. The label would be: believers come together to worship their historical faith in a socially spiritual environment. They use the different artifacts as means to worship. 9. How does the situation shape the genre pieces? Since the believers go to their house of worship, the situation of worship shapes the genres by creating a social atmosphere for the believers where they can worship together, read the holy book together, learn together, and pray together. 10. How do the genres shape the situation? The genres shape the situation by allowing for the worship to take place. Without the historical and social roots of religious houses, religious communities would have become fragmented. The holy book, advertisement, and prayer schedule allow to the worshipping situation to take place and satisfies the needs of the believers. 11. What does the genre allow its users to do and what does it not allow them to do? Reading and studying the holy book allows people to understand what the religion is about and discusses the historical roots of the religion. It also allows believers to identify with the text and create social interactions amongst the similarly believing people. The text, however, does not allow them to create anything new of their own, so it cannot be more than historical; it is not dynamic. The religious school allows the believers to learn together in a historically social environment. Yet, the content taught

Somia Youssef Neha Milind English 1101 is also limited and unchanging, the information will stay the same. The prayer schedule allows the believers to organize their times in accordance to the prayers and encourages worshippers to come out and contribute to the repetitive historically social congregations. Although it does not allow the people to change the times as they will, because they are set by certain rules. This will not accommodate everyone's schedule, and therefore some people will miss out. 12. Whose needs are most served by the genre? Whose needs are least served? The people most served by the genre are those who are religious, believer in the faith, long to worship, or want to learn about the faith. Those whose needs are least served are those who are not religious, do not believe in the faith, do not want to worship, and do not want to learn about the faith. 13. Does the genre enable its users to represent themselves fully? The genre allows its users to represent themselves in accordance to the religious teachings. This would vary from faith to faith. The rules, regulations, requirements, restrictions, consequences, incentives, and rewards are determined for each faith, and therefore each religious group can decide whether or not they feel represented by their religion and house of worship. 15. Do the assumptions that the genre reflects privilege certain ways of doing things? Increased worship, spirituality, education, and social bonding are assumptions that the genre reflects. The holy book, school advertisement, and prayer schedule serve as mediums or catalysts of those assumed characteristics. They allow the worshippers to be privileged with these artifacts in order to satisfy their religious, social, and spiritual needs in traditional and historical contexts.

2 Characteristics: 1. Social 2. Historical