Thlog Week One

This week in writing two we began to look at genres and what makes up a genre.  Genres are made up of conventions which is a concept that I found to be interesting because previously when I thought about a genre, I never really thought about specific pieces that when put together can be classified into a certain category.  I really enjoyed this because I usually wouldn't think about the specific conventions that makes a thing that thing.  I think I would always do this subconsciously, but when I actually tried to determine the conventions for a genre, it proved to be harder than I thought and I felt like I couldn’t put it in words (see PB1A).

I think that subconsciously classifying things into genres is similar to first order thinking while actually analyzing genres for their conventions is similar to second order thinking.  Also, I’ve noticed that almost everything has a genre that is belongs to and conventions that make it belong to that genre.  I’m not talking about just literature or music here, but other things like academic subjects or architecture.  For example, conventions like tall marble columns help distinguish Greek architecture from high ceiling domes that characterize Italian architecture.

    We are also learning about first order and second order thinking which is another topic that I find to be particularly interesting.  After reading about first and second order thinking, I realized that I am more of a second order thinker as I have taken course loads heavy in the math and science departments and therefore have been less conditioned when it comes to first order thinking.  I think this is why it’s hard for me to answer those quick freewrite questions in class, because I overthink them.  I thought of an analogy that I think can be applicable to first and second order thinking.  First order thinking is like a river.  It is for the most part free flowing and does what it wants.  It is guided by who we are, our experiences, things we’ve read and people we’ve talked to.  Second order thinking is like the dam in a river.  It stops it, controls it, and determines what passes through and is let to continue to flow in a more orderly fashion.  Thlogs I think can be representative of first order thinking.