Monica Lobera

Genre Analysis
Rhetoric and Writing Studies 1302
Part One
Write down the two genres you have chosen (include titles, who or
where they come from, and what genres they are), and answer the
questions that follow:
Genre 1: Sex and Sensibility: Public School Sex Education and the
Religious Right Source: Church and State
Persuasive
Article
Genre 2: Why Sex Education is important
Source: The University of Texas Prevention Research Center
Informative
Youtube video
1. What is your topic of inquiry?
Sex Education in Public Schools
2. Why did you select these two specific genres?
I selected these 2 genres because they insight on how religion
gets in the way of sex education by implementing abstinence and why
the proper education is so important.
3. How does each genre communicate about your topic of inquiry?
Genre 1 is informative of the issue between having
comprehensive education and the approach to abstinence. It implies
that, according to past studies, the abstinence method doesnt work,
shines light on comprehensive education and why religious people are
opposed to it.
Genre 2 is trying to implement an online program and talks
about the importance of proper sex education and how students react
to the material they learned.
Part Two
Answer each of the following prompts for both genres as a way of
organizing the content of your Genre Analysis assignment.
Genre 1
1

Audience and Purpose

1. Who is/are the intended audience(s) and discourse community(ies)?
Parents, students, teachers
2. What does the audience already know and what do they want to
know?
They know there are options on how to approach the topic of sex
to children/students and want to know what is the best approach to
prevent them from having unprepared sex.
3. How much time will the audience spend with each genre?
About 5 minutes
4. What was the purpose (inform, persuade, and/or entertain)?
To persuade
5. How formal/informal is the language?
Formal
6. What specialized vocabulary is used?
Because some of the target audience is to young students, it
uses a vocabulary that could be understood by them.
7. What other language features do you notice (text, type, font, color,
visuals, etc)?
There is nothing visually distinguishable about the article.
Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos, Logos
1. How does this genre establish (or attempt to establish) its credibility
with the audience?
It recalls on previous studies and provides an example of an
attempt by a Christian group to lean students towards abstinence.
2. What emotions is the genre attempting to evoke from its audience?
Its trying to inform the audience of why keeping religion out of
sex education could improve the education.
3. What types of evidence are used to support claims? Is it
valid/reliable? If there is no evidence, what is used to help support the
information presented?
Though it is in an editorial piece, there is a minor reference of
support from multiple studies that prove teaching only abstinence to
not work.

Structure and Delivery

1. How is the information organized to covey its message?
It introduces the two arguments and shows the reasoning behind
the opposing view (abstinence) and then advocates for comprehensive
education by also introducing reasons why the opposing view doesnt
work.
2. Are there limitations placed on the information because of the
genre? Does it have more freed to express what it needs to because of
the genre?
The article is an editorial piece which means it is opinion based
meant to persuade. In result is not as credible as an informative article.
Because it is advocating for comprehensive education, the reader is
given little information about the good that could comes from one side
of the argument and a lot of information about the good that comes
from the other side of the argument. It is biased and that could turn
away religious readers.
3. How does the structure facilitate its purpose?
The structure facilitates its argument because it shows why its
opposing side sees things in that way and side with teaching
abstinence and then provides credible facts to why it doesnt work.
Genre 2
Audience and Purpose
1. Who is/are the intended audience(s) and discourse community(ies)?
Students, parents, school districts
2. What does the audience already know and what do they want to
know?
They know that students need to know about sex ed and want to
know more facts about the benefits of comprehensive education
3. How much time will the audience spend with each genre?
The video is 6:32 minutes long
4. What was the purpose (inform, persuade, and/or entertain)?
Inform about the benefits of the program that they implement.
5. How formal/informal is the language?
Formal to a level that students could understand

6. What specialized vocabulary is used?

The language used is understandable in general
7. What other language features do you notice (text, type, font, color,
visuals, etc)?
There is some animation used that is probably meant to retain
attention from the students.
Rhetorical Issues: Ethos, Pathos, Logos
1. How does this genre establish (or attempt to establish) its credibility
with the audience?
It asks what the students think about the program and all the
students gave positive feedback

2. What emotions is the genre attempting to evoke from its audience?

It aims to make us trust what there saying and have us feel
confident tha their program is a good alternative.
3. What types of evidence are used to support claims? Is it
valid/reliable? If there is no evidence, what is used to help support the
information presented?
The sex education program that they are advocating for is
reinforced by The University of Texas. The program has been used by
students and had great student feedback and involvement.
Structure and Delivery
1. How is the information organized to covey its message?
It starts with emphasizing that students need to be prepared
about sex and what could happen, then address why teaching
comprehensive education at school is so important. They then
introduce the program they use to teach students and show its
success.
2. Are there limitations placed on the information because of the
genre? Does it have more freed to express what it needs to because of
the genre?
The video is meant to be informative about the benefits of their
comprehensive sex education program and only that. Some restrictions
are that it does not talk about abstinence so it does not inform you
about the other side of the argument.
3. How does the structure facilitate its purpose?
4

They shows the outcome of. This helps grasp how helpful the
program actually is.