WHAT IS GENRE THEORY GENRE THEORY Genres are

WHAT IS GENRE THEORY?

GENRE THEORY • Genres are: – – – Social Rhetorical Dynamic Historical Cultural • It challenges the idea that good writing is monotone; that there is a one size fits all formula to being a successful writer • Genres exist beyond Literary texts and are more than just forms – They exist in every day life and in ALL forms of writing – They are not just models to be imitated or rules to follow, they create the process of writing for a specific purpose and in specific situations

GENRES ARE SOCIAL • They are used to act in specific situations • Occur from social interactions – Help make sense of shared social experiences • How we respond to social situations is how genres are social – Sending an email to a friend has different structure, tone, dialect than an email to a professor or upper management • Genres also interact with each other – Some genres develop out of others, carry elements of previous genres into new situations; respond to ideas and language in other genres as support or basis for argument

• Genres allow choices; we choose amongst options that will best accomplish our purpose in each situation • We adapt to situations and change our course and decisions • We can choose to follow generic expectations or not • Conventions of genres provide stability but the choices and our need to adapt make genres flexible

GENRES ARE DYNAMIC • Genres change and create change within their context • How we present our purpose can change the genre – The prompt: Should high school education be mandatory? • This prompt can be presented as an argumentative paper, a research paper, opinion, persuasive etc. –The audience, the purpose, point of view, and perspectives are the choices that help us shape the way we present this prompt – Genres can adapt to situations based on social situations and choices

GENRES ARE HISTORICAL • When genres change, they depend on the previous genre • We have strong ties to our past; our past is what influences our future • Some influences are positive, others are negative – Regardless, genres change based on those influences and grow because of them • The American Flag for example – While the purpose behind it, the “genre” of it has stayed the same, the appearance of it has changed throughout history – New beliefs, states, have changed the Flag, yet it still represents America and its history

GENRES ARE CULTURAL • Genres occur within and respond to cultures – Culture can be a way of life or have no overall presence in our daily lives – Choices made in one culture may not be acceptable in another • This causes genres to adapt and change • Some identify with one culture, others multiple – People move in and out of cultures which influences their choices and beliefs • Culture can influence how we respond to social situations • The genre of Culture has also changed throughout history – Cultures are influenced by society and history and adapt to such