PRESENTATION: http://prezi.com/yhhvmd_rkscu/untitled-prezi/?kw=view-yhhvmd_rkscu&rc=ref-25639515
Our project on Genre Theory is interesting because most people hear genre and think of types of film genres (like film noir, comedy or horror). These are indeed genres, but through our readings we have learned that the idea of genre in not as cut and dry. Genre theory is meant to explore the different aspects and applications of defining genres. In the introduction of Genre in a Changing World by Charles Bazerman, Adair Bonini, and Debora Figueiredo, they state that “a world tied together by communication and knowledge, enacting increasingly complex cooperation’s on many levels, puts an increasing demand on the genres that share our meanings and knowledge, that coordinate our actions, and that hold our institutions together” (xiii). The idea that genres are intertwined in our communication, meanings and knowledge is central to the design of our project. The articles we read are placed in the soil beneath a tree, and ultimately build our foundation of knowledge and allow us to grow our communication skills through the attainment of genre awareness.
The lessons learned and the possible applications for understanding genre theory grow from the soil and are located in the tree. The Prezi style presentation is crucial in the delivery of our information because the point we are trying to convey is that genre theory is actually much more complex and meaningful than most believe. This is conveyed through the unified canvas provided by Prezi, compared to the standard constrained format of PowerPoint. The fluid movement is a representation of the step-by-step process and understanding of genre theory. It can transform an individual who has trouble communicating into someone who is able to communicate effectively through their own construction of texts built off their genre awareness. In the following paragraphs, we will be discussing and dissecting genre theory and genre awareness.
Throughout Amy Devitt’s discussion in Teaching Critical Genre Awareness, she uses her real-life experiences as a teacher along with her keen knowledge on the developmental stages of an individuals own genre theory to discuss her views on the varying methods used to teach students genre theory. Often times, those who are unfamiliar with the study of genre theory and the underlying meaning behind the simplistically broad societal definition think of genres as “formulaic and constraining” (Devitt, 337). If the genre itself is taught with a formulaic base, with repetition and memorization, without the use of any social or cultural meaning, it does indeed become formulaic and constraining with respect to the overall learning processes of that student. When genres are taught with a bigger picture in mind, a larger critical awareness of genres, then teaching can become an enlightening process for the student.
As a writer or student adopts certain genre, they adopt the ideologies of that genre. Devitt reminds us that teachers themselves are saturated in ideologies through the years of exposure before exploring the following point, “When teachers select genres to use in the classroom, then, they are selecting ideologies that those genres will instill in students, for good and bad” (Devitt, 339). The Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of pedagogy is “the art, science, or profession of teaching; especially education” (Merriam-webster.com). Genre pedagogy is then defined as “teaching particular genres explicitly to students so that they gain access to and can later use those same genres” (Devitt, 341). Devitt discusses in depth the three pedagogical uses of genre theory; Explicitly teaching particular genres, Teaching antecedent genres, and Teaching critical genre awareness, with arguments against the former and emphasis on the later.
Devitt believes that through the development of critical genre awareness, instead of broad definitions of multiple genres, students are more susceptible to maintaining their views and critical stance in any number of future academic, literary, work related, and disciplinary endeavors. Devitt explores the more explicit teaching of particular genres through her reference to Aviva Freeman’s article, “Show and Tell?” (1993), where Freedman doubts that explicit instruction in genres are effective. Genres are processes of developing, spreading, and learning through ideologically embedded structures forged through social, institutional, and cultural contexts. They emerge out of our individual developmental and learning processes which later explicitly instruct a student in the ways of genre identification.
The end goal is the attainment of a critical understanding of genre awareness so that in future encounters, one has the knowhow and resources needed to evoke conscious attention to the exposed genres and their potential influence. Developing genre awareness is important because “without developing their genre awareness, people are more at the mercy of existing genres and existing power structures and dynamics” (Devitt, 347).
In an article written by John M. Swales titled, World of Genres, it is explained that genres contain a job. A genres job is to intervene between social situations and the texts that respond strategically to the demands of those situations. In other words, if you were trying to create a horror film you would use what is considered dark and ominous sounds, quick editing effects and pop-out tactics in order to convey a “scary” setting. A genre can be performed and recognized when the texts, sounds, or scenes in different types of media are well conceptualized and well constructed. We are exposed to multiple genres every day through simple tasks such as listening to music or watching movies. A genre is performed when you begin watching a movie or start reading a literary piece of work, the genre is then exposed through the overall concepts and characteristics of the film or book. “When these performances proliferate, genres tend to drift through time and geographical space, partly inherently and partly as a result of inter-textual acceptances and rejections.” (Swales, p. 14)
There are genre analysts in the world who are responsible for the dissecting, understanding, and teaching of what exactly a genre is and what categories genres can create. The genre analyst’s job is to find textual regularities and irregularities and clarify them in terms of the relevant and applicable social circumstances and the rhetorical demands they create. “Part of the work of those genre analysts with applied aspirations would then be to refashion these findings so that, by comparison and contrast, by episodic dissection, by rhetorical consciousness-raising, and by task designs such as the systemic-functionalists’ “wheel of genre,” they can become more transparent to those who would wish or need to become better consumers or producers of textual exemplars in the targeted genre or genres.” (Swales, p.15)
Teaching genre awareness is very critical for today’s students. Teachers have designed our writing assignments precisely to put students in a position where they need to combine information and consider issues and ideas from a different perspective (Bazerman, p.279). This helps the students open their mind to different genres. Overall this does create intellectual growth for some students who understand the real objective behind the assignment. Consequently this brings an introduction to differing forms of writing, so that the genre learning occurs through the materials and language provided (Bazerman, p.280).
Language develops from an idea into a newly acquired meaning that uses aspects of writing to create a new functional system of writing. This functional system teaches the concepts of composing such as text structuring devices, genre expectations, audience and situation concerns, and activity consequences within larger social systems but separate functional systems (Bazerman, p.282). Everyone must attain a working knowledge of the in’s and out’s of language in order to fully understand how genres operate. Language is the process of communicating and interacting with others in order to reconfigure previously acquired functional systems (Bazerman, p.283). We are constantly adding to and formatting new dialogues to build our overall understanding of the language that surrounds us. This is a qualitative change in the nature of thought and perception, which helps build our cognitive structure and display of language.
In all these instances, whatever the level of cognitive activity required, genres identify a problem space for the developing writer while providing a solution through particularly useful tools (Bazerman, p.291). Choosing a genre puts you into the problem space while the various structures and practices of genre theory provide the means to a solution. More genres create more possibilities for cognitive growth in the seemingly endless barrage of encounters which occur in the wake of the process (Bazerman, p.292).
Sanjay Mistry 