Week 11 Blog Post

The two readings for this week discuss the topic of genre and its role in activism. Genres are kinds of writing that help us participate in constantly recurring events. For example, a birthday is a recurring event, so the genre in question would be a birthday card. By studying specific genres of a movement, you can begin to see which ones have been used most, were most effective, and what responses to these genres were like: "Understanding genre helps you look for patterns when you encounter new situations and new kinds of texts. The genre may look strange and new to you, but if it's a typical or expected response to a recurring situation, it means you can find out what the recurring situation is and what previous responses have looked like". Genres are flexible maps to new situations, meant to guide you through them, yet they are prone to change.

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A common pattern that I have found in the Me Too Movement is various resources being shared for survivors, resources such as websites, organizations, phone numbers, just general places survivors can go and talk to somebody. Some SA survivors are hesitant to share what they've been through and are either scared or unable to find help, so providing resources and a safe space for them is crucial and is something I am glad to see spread throughout the movement.