
Genres facilitate communication between writers, speakers, knowledge workers and readers, listeners, users by employed shared conventions and expectations about what to say and how to say it in recurring rhetorical situations. Related Concepts: Deductive Order, Deductive Reasoning, Deductive Writing Interpretation Literacy Mode of Discourse Organizational Schema Rhetorical Analysis Rhetorical Reasoning Voice Tone Persona Genres are a way of seeing, a way of making knowledge, a way of thinking about a topic. They are highly abbreviated bits of discourse that reflect the epistemologies and textual practices of particular discourse communities. If you don’t know the genres you’re supposed to use or remix in any given rhetorical situation, you may as well be from mars.
a shared social space-a library of sorts, albeit a conceptual library-that rhetors and their audience(s) share as members of a discourse community. Applying for a job? Well, then, a résumé and cover letter is called for. Particular exigencies call for particular genres. Genres are created in the forge of recurring rhetorical situations. But unlike words, which convey a defined denotation a range of connotative meanings, genres carry a boatload of potential meanings. a form of literacy, a rhetorical tool of communication that informs composing and interpretation.īeyond ways to sort texts, genres are a form of signification, an alphabet of sorts. Use of a particular style guide, such as APA or MLA. A scientific article typically has an Introduction, Results, Methods, and Conclusion Section. according to formatting or linguistic patterns. Move 3 Occupying the niche (Swales and Feak 2004). Examples of commonplace rhetorical moves in academic writing:. according to the absence or presence of commonplace rhetorical moves associated with recurring situated practices. Examples: Drama, Fable, Fairy Tale, etc.
a classification scheme for sorting texts. Photo: Joe Moxley tiny tin men made from old parts Genre Definition In contrast, in creative writing, creatives play with genre conventions, knowing readers delight in remixed genres. Genres are fairly standardized in professional and workplace writing. Genres are like old parts or legos that can be reconfigured, reused, toĮxpedite clear communications.