Discourse Community Artifact Analysis Worksheet

 Due Feb. 28th 

Find one artifact from your Discourse Community. The artifact might provide information about their way of communicating, their values, their beliefs, their “identity kit” etc. The artifact should provide information about the Discourse Community or be meaningful to the community. 

Examples of artifacts: an interview with a member of the community, a song, a speech, an example of the Discourse Community’s publications (brochure, newsletter), letters, a poem, a book, biography/ autobiography, a tattoo, memes) 

Fill out the Discourse Community Artifact Analysis worksheet about your artifact. The worksheet will help you look at the artifact from a number of angles that will help you prepare for your final task of the project. 

You may either write your response in a comment below OR use this link to complete the worksheet in Google Docs.

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Discourse Community _____________________

Artifact ___________________________

1. WHY did you choose this artifact?

2. Describe the artifact:

  • What does the artifact look like/ sound like (if an object)? Where is it? 
  • What is the artifact about (if a text, song, poem, etc)?

3. Discuss how/ why the artifact is meaningful to your DC

  • Why is this artifact important to your DC? 
  • How does your DC use the artifact? 

4. Look at the RHETORICAL SITUATION (genre, audience, purpose)

  • If a text, what is the genre of the artifact? 
  • Who is the intended audience of the artifact? Who is supposed to read, hear, see, use the artifact? 
  • What is the purpose of the artifact? 

5. Does the artifact contain examples of ethos, pathos or logos? Find it and describe it! 

  • How does the artifact help establish the credibility of the DC? Or look at the artifact, is it a credible source? How do you know? (ethos)
  • How does the artifact appeal to the emotions (pathos) of the members of the DC?
  • How does the artifact appeal to the logic (logos) of the DCs members?
  • How effective is the message?
  • If a written / spoken text, what is the voice/ tone of the artifact? (formal, informal, etc)