Genre #1- Interviews

I created a social media based poll where people could respond to my question about abortion. Those who answered were aware it was for an assignment. I did not alter the responses regardless of grammatical or spelling errors because I did not want to risk changing how the response would be perceived. Below are the responses.

Question: What do you think about abortion?

Responses:

1. It’s a personal choice. The decision should be solely up to the mother.
2. Basic right. Taking that away is taking away bodily autonomy.
3. It’s a woman’s choice!
4. It should be left to the individual to decide if they will or will not have an abortion.
5. Let’s let people CHOOSE what they think is best for THEIR OWN BODY.
6. A fetus is undeniably a living human & right to life is most fundamental right therefore abortion is wrong.
7. It should be legal!
8. Should only be use for rape victims and nothing else. 
9. People have the right and decision to do as they please, regardless if it’s messed up.
10. Woman’s body women’s choices.
11. I think morally, abortion will always be in a weird grey area for me. But I really dislike the idea of limiting access to abortion when so access to education & contraceptives are not as common/widespread. I think it is another invasion of privacy. 

Genre #2- Art Piece

Reflection

The topic for my composition in two genres is focused on how Americans view abortion. The results of my research in the inquiry-based research essay made it clear many people’s opinions on abortion in America reside in a grey-area, rather than merely pro-choice or pro-life. I thought it was important that my two genres convey the significance of the grey-area. Therefore, the two genres I chose were interviews and an art piece. Creating my composition, it was also important to bear in mind the intended audience. In this case, the American population in general. I chose a broader intended audience because people on both sides of the topic could benefit from the research results and information. Using interviews allowed me to reach both sides of the audience. It allowed people from all sides of the argument, including the grey area, to have an input. This was important to me because I wanted to get a decent representation of stances and different backgrounds of people. My sample size was very small compared to the studies referenced in my essay, so it would likely be an overgeneralization to claim that the results of my interviews reflect the feelings of the general population. However, the responses I received decently reflected the research from my essay, in which most people leaned pro-choice. The grey-area was also represented in the responses, as well as the minority percentage of pro-life responses. The rhetorical choices in using this genre were mainly in creating ethos. In seeing responses from American citizens, the audience can see the different facets of the topic and how my research and the interviews support them. The purpose of the interviews is to create a more digestible piece of evidence to support my topic. The average person just researching basic abortion issues in America is not likely to read a lengthy statistical report. My interviews illustrate the same point as the other research, but in a more accessible way. In making the information more accessible, more people will be able to educate themselves on the subject. The second genre I used was an art piece. The portrait was created digitally. I thought that an art piece was a good way to illustrate the divisiveness of abortion in America. The piece features a woman appearing distressed, looking at a pregnancy test. I thought an art piece would be an effective way to convey the extensive grey area on the topic. That is why there are sections of the portrait in grey tones. Within those sections, I also put some keywords and topics about the issue. This is because those words and topics- such as rape, and finances- often find themselves within the grey area. In the background, I included some factors that divide people on the issue, such as location, political affiliation, etc. The main rhetorical device used here was pathos. The piece is meant to evoke emotion from the audience. It feels as though, oftentimes, people get so caught up in the divisiveness of the abortion argument, that they can forget that there are people behind it being directly harmed. The purpose of this art piece is to make people think. I want the audience to consider the issue, and humanize it.