The Genres of Chi Omega: An

Activity Analysis

VICTORIA MARRO
Produced in Elizabeth Wardles Fall 2011 ENC1102

Introduction
Soioiities have existeu foi ovei 1uu yeais anu have maintaineu theii values even as time
passes anu chapteis become faithei apait. 0ne way these oiganizations have been able to keep
these tiauitions is thiough the use of vaiious genies. Accoiuing to the woik of wiiting ieseaicheis
such as Amy Bevitt, genies aie flexible iesponses to fit the neeus of a uiscouise community oi social
setting. A uiscouise community is a gioup with agieeu upon goals, communication, the use of
genies, feeuback, a thiesholu level of membeiship anu specifieu language (}ohns). Reseaicheis Amy
Bevitt, Anis Bawaishi anu Naiy }o Reiff have lookeu at the way that genies seive the neeus of juiies,
uoctois' offices, anu classiooms. Accoiuing to these ieseaicheis, "genie stuuy allows stuuents anu
ieseaicheis to iecognize how 'liveu textuality' plays a iole in the liveu expeiience of a gioup"
(Bawaishi, Bevitt, anu Reiff S42).
0ne community that plays a big pait in my life anu in the lives of Suu,uuu othei women is
my soioiity, Chi 0mega. 0sually, ieseaich uone on uieek life involves eating uisoiueis anu
pioblems with hazing, but such issues shoulu not uefine these oiganizations. Not enough ieseaich
has been uone on the complex genie systems, oi genie sets, useu by soioiities anu fiateinities. A
genie set, as uefineu by Chailes Bazeiman, is a gioup of seveial genies that pieuictably iecui insiue
a uomain-specifieu community (Bonig 91). A genie system, as uefineu by Amy Bevitt, is a "set of
genies inteiacting to achieve an oveiaiching function within an activity system" (Bawaishi anu
Reiff 87). uenie sets anu systems aie impoitant with iegaiu to social action anu inteiact to fuithei
the puiposes of a gioup. By analyzing these, social ioles anu piogiess become much cleaiei within
activity systems: "A genie system incluues genies fiom multiple genie sets, ovei time, anu can
involve the inteiaction of useis with uiffeient levels of expeitise anu authoiity, who may not all
have equal knowleuge of oi access to all" (Bawaishi anu Reiff 88). In an oiganization as laige as Chi
0mega, this is incieuibly impoitant because the levels of authoiity anu expeitise of membeis vaiies
so gieatly. Bazeiman has pieviously lookeu at the use of genie systems in classiooms anu in the 0S
patent application piocess (Bawaishi anu Reiff 88). In this papei, I will look at the genies useu
within Chi 0mega anu how the use of genie systems help the 17S collegiate chapteis of Chi 0mega
function both inuepenuently anu togethei as one activity system. Foi the puiposes of this papei, an
activity system functions in a similai fashion to a uiscouise community, with laiu out puiposes,
tools, iules, subject, community anu a uivision of laboi. This will be fuithei explaineu in my
uiscussion. I will look at the uiffeient genies that aie useu, as well as the uiffeient ways that the
same genie may be useu by uiffeient chapteis, examining the ways that the same tool can seive
completely uiffeient puiposes foi uiffeient chapteis. I will specifically look at the genies we use in
my chaptei touay, anu how these genies aie utilizeu to fuithei the goals of Chi 0mega.


STYLUS 3.1 | SPRING 2012


26
Methods
I inteivieweu two sisteis in othei Chi 0mega chapteis, incluuing Emily, an active sistei in
the Eta Belta chaptei at the 0niveisity of Floiiua anu Summei, an active sistei of the Psi Kappa
chaptei at Clemson 0niveisity. Theii names have been changeu. These sisteis weie askeu what
technologies theii executive boaius useu to communicate with them; about genies useu by
chapteis such as a weekly newslettei, Billhighway anu the uIN system; anu theii opinion on the
effectiveness of saiu genies. These sisteis weie askeu theii opinions on the impoitance of wiiting
anu iitual to Chi 0mega nationally, anu about the national magazine, !"# %&#'()(.
An inteiview was also conuucteu with Biittany, an alum fiom the Psi Nu chaptei of Chi
0mega at the 0niveisity of Cential Floiiua. Bei name has been changeu as well. She was askeu how
the executive boaiu communicateu with the sisteis uuiing hei time in the chaptei, about a weekly
newslettei, the uIN system, anu hei opinion on the effectiveness of these genies. She was askeu
about hei involvement in an alumnae chaptei anu the genies that weie useu within that chaptei.
She was also askeu about the national magazine, !"# %&#'()(*
The Psi Nu chaptei secietaiy, Allison, was inteivieweu about the wiiting she uoes foi the
chaptei anu the way she became veiseu in these genies. She was askeu hei opinion on the
effectiveness of the uIN system anu the pioblems with this system. 0thei questions incluueu hei
opinions on the impoitance of wiiting to the national oiganization anu whethei oi not she ieaus
!"# %&#'()(*
I also inteivieweu Psi Nu chaptei piesiuent, Nicole. Nicole was askeu about how the uIN
system came into effect anu what methous of communication weie useu piioi to this system. She
was askeu about the iitual text, but at the iequest of the chaptei secietaiy, these iesponses will not
be incluueu. Like in all of the othei inteiviews, she was askeu if she ieau !"# %&#'()(. As the chaptei
piesiuent, she was askeu about hei communication with othei chapteis anu with nationals, anu hei
opinion on the impoitance of wiiting anu wiitten communication to the oiganization as a whole.
0vei twenty genies weie collecteu anu analyzeu incluuing the uIN system, !"# %&#'()(, the
weekly newslettei, announcements, files anu otheis. The impoitance of genies that coulu not be
accesseu, such as the wiitten iituals anu the Book of Rules, weie analyzeu as well. Activity tiiangles
weie constiucteu foi Chi 0mega as a national oiganization, as well as foi inuiviuual chapteis anu
genies. Batabase seaiches weie conuucteu anu pievious ieseaich was synthesizeu to suppoit
finuings.
Activity tiiangles weie constiucteu to analyze the activity systems, Chi 0mega nationally,
the Psi Nu, Psi Kappa anu Eta Belta chapteis, anu the uIN system. Activity theoiy, which says that
people wiite as pait of an activity system, can be uisplayeu in a tiiangle, with tools at the top,
subject on the miuule left, object on the miuule iight, iules in the lowei left, the community in the
lowei miuule, anu uivision of laboi in the lowei iight-hanu coinei. A seiies of aiiows insiue the
tiiangle shows how each poition is connecteu to the otheis (see Figuie 1 below).

"#$%&' ( 0iganization of an Activity System
MARRO | THE GENRES OF CHI OMEGA


27
"#$%&' ) 0iganization of Chi 0mega nationally


Results and Discussion
Thiough activity analysis, I founu that the chapteis of Chi 0mega all wiite in uiffeient
genies; howevei, all of the chapteis shaie the same goals, which
aie laiu out in the mission statement, a shaieu genie. I founu that
this mission statement is bioken up into six paits, anu each of
those has a uiiectoi, which makes up the caiuinal cabinet. Each
uiiectoi woiks with a specific genie set, anu these togethei make
up a genie system. In the Psi Nu chaptei, one supei-genie
encompasses all of these genies sets anu woiks as a genie system
within that genie.
Chi 0mega soioiity was founueu in 189S by Bi. Chailes
Richaiuson, Ina Nay Boles, }ean vincenhellei, }obelle Bolcombe,
anu Alice Simonus. Chi 0mega has initiateu ovei Suu,uuu
membeis anu has 17S collegiate chapteis. The tools useu by Chi
0mega nationally aie the wiitten iituals, establisheu by Bi.
Chailes Richaiuson when the soioiity was founueu; the Book of Rules, which lists all iules foi
membeis; the Chi 0mega Symphony anu mission statement, which summaiize the oiganization's
puiposes; the chaptei iosteis; Chi0mega.com; anu !"# %&#'()(+ the national magazine. In a lettei
Through activity analysis,
I found that the chapters
of Chi Omega all write in
different genres; however,
all of the chapters share
the same goals, which are
laid out in the mission
statement, a shared genre.
STYLUS 3.1 | SPRING 2012


28
"#$%&' * Psi Nu Chaptei of Chi 0mega

"#$%&' + Eta Belta Chaptei of Chi 0mega

fiom the national piesiuent that came with the latest issue of !"# %&#'()(, she states the puipose of
the magazine is "to connect oui membeis to the national oiganization by shaiing expeiiences,
spotlighting successes, anu pioviuing tools foi the uevelopment of oui membeis" (Fulkeison). The
wiitten iitual pioviues the lexis, oi specializeu language, of the uiscouise community. The iituals
aie confiuential anu theiefoie will not be fuithei explaineu. The motives oi objects of the activity
system aie to piomote fiienuship, integiity, scholaiship, community seivice, involvement in the
community anu caieei anu peisonal uevelopment. These puiposes make up the mission statement
of Chi 0mega. The iules aie ueteimineu by the Book of Rules anu, in inuiviuual chapteis, the
bylaws. The community is all of the sisteis anu new membeis of Chi 0mega in all of the chapteis,
both collegiate anu alumni. The uivision of laboi in each chaptei is ueteimineu by the slating
piocess, in which sisteis nominate othei sisteis foi a position, othei sisteis give theii input, anu
then anothei sistei is nominateu foi that position as well. All of the input is iecoiueu along with all
of the sisteis nominateu foi positions anu at the enu of the uay the executive boaiu is chosen baseu
on that infoimation. The iuea of slating is that the position seeks the woman, not the othei way
aiounu. Those who tell people they woulu like to be slateu aie ineligible to holu an executive
position (see Figuie 2). This activity system can be applieu to each of the 17S collegiate chapteis,
anu although in most cases moie genies aie useu as well, it keeps all of the chapteis in line with the
same values anu puiposes.

Using Different Tools to Achieve the Same Motives
Chi 0mega is such a laige oiganization that it woulu be incieuibly uifficult to use only a few
genies anu have eveiy chaptei using the same genies. Accoiuing to Caiolyn Nillei, the amount of
genies useu by a gioup is uepenuent on how complex anu uiveise the gioup is (Bevitt S7S). This
statement in itself shows the complexity anu uiveisity of Chi 0mega, anu the ieasoning behinu how
uiffeient chapteis use uiffeient genies to meuiate the same goals. In 0CF's Psi Nu chaptei (see
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29
"#$%&' , Psi Kappa Chaptei of Chi 0mega

Figuie S) alone, theie aie ovei twenty genies, with moie being auueu all the time. These genies
function togethei as a genie system to make the oiganization woik. Some of these genies have been
useu since the soioiity's founuing in 189S anu otheis have come into being much moie iecently in
iesponse to situations in which the genies being useu weie not woiking efficiently. Foi example,
one new genie useu is the uIN system, which can be lookeu as a genie system within itself. The Eta
Belta chaptei also uses the uIN system (see Figuie 4).The uIN system as a genie will be lookeu at in
moie uetail latei.
In Biittany's inteiview, she explaineu to me that when she was in the chaptei, they hau a
website, but nothing like the uIN system. She tolu me that the executive boaiu woulu iaiely post to
the chaptei website because they uiu not believe it was secuie. Announcements weie sent thiough
mass emails. Summei tolu me that hei chaptei uoes not use the uIN system anu, like Biittany's
chaptei, the executive boaiu iaiely uses the chaptei website. The Psi Kappa (see Figuie S) chaptei
uses Suivey Nonkeys, an online type of questionnaiie, in the way that the Psi Nu chaptei uses the
question function on the uIN system. This shows how uiffeient genies aie able to meuiate the same
goal foi uiffeient chapteis. As was the case when Biittany was a sistei, Summei's chaptei senus
mass emails foi announcements.

STYLUS 3.1 | SPRING 2012


30
"#$%&' - The Psi Nu Chaptei of Chi 0mega's uIN System


A Genre System within a Genre
The activity tiiangle laiu out simply foi the uIN system (see Figuie 6) shows that even
insiue one genie, an entiie genie system can be taking place. The Psi Nu chaptei's uIN system uses
aie announcements, questions, files, anu an event calenuai. These tools help the chaptei to
accomplish its goals. The system even categoiizes the infoimation posteu baseu on the uigency
inuicateu by the peison posting. If the message shoulu be ieau immeuiately, it is posteu on the wall
anu a text message is sent to all the sisteis. If it shoulu be ieau soon, an email is sent anu it is posteu
on the wall. If it just neeus to be ieau befoie the next chaptei meeting, it is only posteu on the wall.
The uIN system contains questions iegaiuing puichasing meichanuise anu announcements
about money that is uue, which then function as a genie set with BillBighway.com, a website
thiough which sisteis pay theii uues, fees, anu also pay foi any meichanuise they oiuei fiom the
chaptei. This genie set is paiticulaily impoitant because the chaptei woulu not be able to
accomplish its goals without a buuget. Anothei genie set is foimeu by the uIN questions anu
announcements iegaiuing volunteei events anu the spieausheet that keeps tiack of the community
seivice houis, which is posteu on the uIN system as a file. This genie set is meuiateu by the uiiectoi
of community seivice. Anothei genie set is maue up by the questions, announcements anu calenuai
posts iegaiuing stuuy sessions, a goal uPA, anu the spieausheet posteu with all of the scholaiship
points. This set is meuiateu by the vice-piesiuent, who also seives as the scholaiship chaii. A
question is posteu weekly about how often sisteis woik out. This question, along with links posteu
to inteinships anu gym classes, makes up the genie set useu by the uiiect of caieei anu peisonal
uevelopment. uIN questions anu announcements posteu about socials function in a genie set with
social contiacts, meuiateu by the uiiectoi of fiienuship anu social. The announcements on uIN as
well as in the weekly newslettei about sisteihoou events function with the attenuance questions in
the genie set meuiateu by the uiiect of sisteihoou anu peisonnel. The campus activities uiiectoi
meuiates a genie set which incluues inteiest questions about the events put on by othei
oiganizations, as well as files anu announcements about these events. All of these genie sets
togethei make the genie system within the uIN system.
MARRO | THE GENRES OF CHI OMEGA


31
The Psi Nu chaptei began using the uIN system in the spiing of 2uu9. Piioi to this system,
the chaptei was contacteu thiough emails anu signup sheets in chaptei. Consistent with activity
theoiy, which "illuminates the affoiances offeieu to us by technology" (Levine), the uIN system was
founu to be a bettei alteinative. By utilizing the uIN system, the chaptei was able to keep
eveiything oiganizeu anu in one place. This genie came into being to "iesponu appiopiiately to
situations that wiiteis encountei iepeateuly" (Bevitt S76). The wiiteis of Chi 0mega, meaning the
sisteis in positions of authoiity, founu a new genie that coulu woik moie efficiently in the
situations they constantly founu themselves in, such as how to announce a meeting to the entiie
chaptei, anu how to ieminu sisteis to pay theii uues. The uIN system pioviues a means of feeuback
anu communication, two of the uefining chaiacteiistics of a uiscouise community (}ohns).

Some Final Thoughts
In the woius of Amy Bevitt, "all genies exist thiough anu uepenu on human action"
(Bawaishi, Bevitt anu Reiff S48). The genies I uesciibeu in the pievious paiagiaphs aie able to
fuithei the goals of the chaptei because they aie well maintaineu. The chaptei secietaiy checks
eveiy post on the uIN system to make suie they aie appiopiiate anu the tieasuiei constantly
checks BillBighway to make suie sisteis have paiu the money they owe to the chaptei. Without this
maintenance, these genies woulu not be what they aie. Foi example, I was once shown a
fiateinity's uIN system. The layout of the website was the same. Theie was a section foi files,
announcements, questions, anu a calenuai; howevei, wheie on the Chi 0mega uIN system these
sections woulu have many links, theii uIN system was quite empty. The biothei showing me this
uIN system tolu me that nobouy evei useu the website anu he iaiely
checkeu it. The only thing that was ieally useu on this fiateinity's uIN
system was the list of phone numbeis anu emails foi the biotheis. Theii
announcements weie sent out in mass emails anu text messages, anu
theii questions weie askeu in chaptei, answeis weie iecoiueu aftei a
show of hanus. This shows how the same tool can seive completely
uiffeient puiposes foi uiffeient chapteis. Nost genies aie fluiu iathei
than iigiu, anu can be mouifieu to fit the situation (Bevitt S79).
As I saiu eailiei, one of the six chaiacteiistics of a uiscouise
community is a thiesholu level of membeiship (}ohns). In Chi 0mega,
membeis go thiough a ieciuitment piocess specific to theii univeisity
anu aie given a biu. 0pon acceptance of this biu, they become new membeis. In oiuei "to be
successfully encultuiateu into new communities of piactice oi activity systems. |onej must leain
anu confoim to the conventions, coues anu genies of those communities" (Waiule). As a new
membei, things such as the uIN system anu the othei genies useu by the chaptei can be quite
confusing, anu geneially iequiie obseivation befoie using them iegulaily. In hei ieseaich, Bevitt
acknowleuges that "knowing the genie..means knowing such things as appiopiiate subject mattei,
level of uetail, tone anu appioach as well as the usual layout anu oiganization" (Bevitt S77). This
explains the neeu foi obseivation when becoming encultuiateu into a community, to leain things
such as tone, level of uetail, appioach anu subject mattei.
Without vaiious genies, laige oiganizations such as Chi 0mega woulu not be able to
function the way that they uo. Theie is a uiffeient genie foi eveiything: a spieausheet to keep tiack
of volunteei houis, a uIN system foi questions anu announcements, foimal letteis foi uonations,
anu most impoitantly, the wiitten iitual that has been useu to initiate ovei Suu,uuu Chi 0mega
sisteis. Baving this genie connects each sistei to all of the otheis, even if they've nevei met. Similai
genies meuiate the activity of Chi 0mega chapteis eveiywheie so that they aie able to woik
togethei as a whole.
Without various
genres, large
organizations such
as Chi Omega
would not be able
to function the way
that they do.
STYLUS 3.1 | SPRING 2012


32

Works Cited
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Biscouise Communities." ,-&&#.# %/.&)(" 6S (2uuS): S41-S8. %01,2"-(t. Web. 2 Nov. 2u11.
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?#9>.-.<. Eu. Chailes Bazeiman. West Lafayette: Pailoi, 2u1u. Piint.
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>/9 ,-AA'/):>8)-/ 44.4 (199S): S7S-86. Eiic EBSC0host. Web. 2 Nov. 2u11.
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Victoria Marro
victoiia Naiio is a }unioi in the Class of 2u14 stuuying Niciobiology & Noleculai Biology on the
Pie-piofessional tiack at the 0niveisity of Cential Floiiua. She is a membei of the Buinett Bonois
College, a sistei of Chi 0mega Fiateinity, anu a Nentoi Wiiting Consultant at the 0niveisity Wiiting
Centei. She hopes to go into meuicine, specializing in peuiatiic oncology. When not in school, she
lives in Palm Beach uaiuens, Floiiua with hei paients anu two biotheis. She is cuiiently involveu
in a pioject to stuuy the tiansfei of wiiting-ielateu knowleuge with Bi. Elizabeth Waiule.