The role of genre in composition is that is sets a guide and expectations for both the writer to follow while making the rhetorical statement as well as the reader. When an author creates a work, they will be able to what readers of the particular genre they are writing to will enjoy. By doing this they are able to employ tools to better serve their audience and making their argument more valid. Genre also classifies literature so that readers can have knowledge about the author, context and argument before actually reading the work. This is also limiting because great novels could be pushed aside by readers who dislike the genre the novel is lumped into. Personally, I don’t read romance novels because I don’t find the genre appealing. As a nineteen year old male I would normally have no interest in the romance genre. However, there could be a brilliant novel in the genre that I would never have the chance to read because the genre as a whole alienates me. Also, sometimes writers may feel forced to write to what appeals to their audience instead of being able to push their creative limits. The may feel the need to continue to write to the same content over and over again.
Genre used to respond to rhetorical situations in the modern use of the term. However, genre was not always so; it was used as a classification system. Though genre is used to respond to rhetorical situations in the modern context, the idea of categorizing is still prominent, and provides the writer with an idea of who is the audience. In response, the audience is able to respond to the text appropriately depending on the genre. When composing, genre provides the writer with a sense of not only the audience to whom he or she is writing, but also a form to go by. This could be anything from a letter to a friend, a novel, a comic stripe, to a newspaper or magazine. The reader, by knowing the genre can then determine what the content, form, and purpose of the piece will be. Genre, however, does have its limitations. By knowing what a genre is, the text may or may not be read by a large audience. For example, if there were a debatable piece on a religion, one can assume that a limitation of publicity would be those who were a part of that religion. What the genre is, is not the only limitation available. Genre within itself can set limitations for the writer, assuming that he or she have to stick to a status quo. The development of a new genre may not be successful. Many debate that with a rhetorical situation, genre grows due to that situation. Therefore, genre is constantly being recycled and reused.
Genre plays a crucial role in communication. The old view of genre insisted that genres were classification systems, a type of taxonomy for pieces of writing. Genres followed conventions accordingly, and form and content were separated so that content was “dumped into” the specified form. In this old view, genre was important in the role of communicating because people knew what to expect when they decided to read or write in a certain genre. As an example, if a teacher instructed a student to write a five paragraph essay to his parents about how they have affected his life, the student would fill the essay with content pertaining to the topic because that is what the genre called for. What if, instead, the student felt he could get his point across better in a poem? This leads to the new view of genre, as something that is alive, that responds to situations and constructs them. Genres are still seen as ways to classify, but they are more flexible than ever before. Different genres can even get the same general message across, as we have learned from the Barbie Battles. The different types of medium still sent the message that Barbie portrayed an unattainable physique to young girls across the globe. Genre also plays a role in composing. When a person sits down to think about what he is going to write, he constructs his thoughts around a genre once he decides what situation he will respond to. If he knows he will be writing about a fictional serial killer, he will tailor his work to have a sense of mystery, including specific diction and syntax that will enhance a thrilling tone. Genre sets expectations and inscribes limitations. As a reader or writer, when we select a certain genre we are able to make assumptions about the work including the content that will be discussed, the format of the work, the audience we are trying to reach, the purpose of the text, and the author’s point of view and values. The limitations that are inscribed only affect the writer if the writer allows them to. For example, if a student is given an assignment with clear instructions on how to construct his paper, he will be limited in the choices he makes. Writers of books do not have this problem of having to comply with a teacher so they have free reign over what they write and how they use conventions and grammar.
Genre and Communication are what makes effective rhetoric. Genre is what people need to consider before publishing or reciting what they want to communicate. Through genre the communicator/rhetor can figure out what their intended audience is to be, how their from of communication should be presented, the content they want to be presented in their rhetoric, their main purpose and goal they need to get across to their audience, and what they should reveal about themselves to the audience so they can be sure the audience will want to learn about what they are communicating. Thus is the role of genre in composing as well.
Genre is also a classification. It puts certain types of rhetoric in certain fields that have already been disputed. Like the fight for pro choice or against it; this subject already an issue that has been disputed over many times over many years, but still there are many different genres being produced by many different people through different mediums. However, these genres will be classified under the main issue the genre is fighting for or against like the example of pro choice that was used. So there are some limitations to genre because there are so many ones being created they just pile up under the same category.
Genre is suppose to tell the intended audience what they are about to be exposed to. So genre in itself has expectations that need to be applied especially for the given medium that the rhetor is using to communicate. The genre tells the audience everything; it tells them about the content, the format, the intended audience, the purpose of the rhetoric, and what makes this author worth reading. So a certain genre is what a certain audience is more attracted to. So when composing rhetoric the author must always look at the genre because it will tell them everything.
Genre is an important part of composition and communication. Without meaning to, an author by writing their thoughts, opinions or research is choosing their audience. Through their message and purpose of writing, the author creates a work with a distinct form and function. These characteristics limit the reception of the book to a specific audience who will be interested. A book based on the historical facts of American Revolution is unlikely to be popular among many groups aside from historians or students. A novel based on the same historical event, however, may be because the genre has changed as well as the form, function and message. Each of those books create limitations on themselves because of their content. They also create expectations in the audience about the author’s opinions or message as well as how interesting it may or may not be or how much fact is included.
I find genre to be an imperative and vital part of communication. In regards to composition genre allows the author to specialize and gear his text towards a particular audience. However, the most important aspect of genre in my opinion, is its contribution to the reader or consumer. Content exists in an innumerable amount of forms. Even if assigning genres to certain works does tend to simplify the artistic integrity and confine the reader's point of view, I still consider it to be necessary. If it weren't for genres how would we, the readers find things we enjoy reading amongst the ocean of titles. For instance, classifying a movie in a horror section of a video store, prevents little kids from watching it, and the last thing adults want is to terrify small children.
Genre's role in communication helps to define the content, format, audience, purpose, and author of the piece. It also helps to define the rhetorical situation. It plays a key role in construction if the limitations are too rigid. Too much, and one finds it difficult to write. Not enough, and you lose the sense of the genre itself. Depending on the genre, it sets different expectations and narrows a reader's point of view.
This weeks' reading opened my eyes to the art of genre. I had assumed it was something that authors just fit into, it never dawned on me that writers aspired to conform to a genre, which seems really ignorant after the readings. For example, if someone really admires Vonnegut's postmodernist writing, it makes sense that they will attempt to write a postmodern novel, limiting themselves to Vonnegut's style; in this sense, I do agree that genre may be limiting. On the other hand, with composing, isn't it true that all literature is a story previously told, and twisted to make your own? So as someone conforms to a genre, I would imagine they dually change it with their own style and in such, create a new genre.
I feel that genre plays a crucial role in communication, as it provides the guidelines for writers to express their ideas effectively to their targeted audiences. Genre can both enable them to fit their work into a specific mold as well as to push them to create their own variation of genre. Genre provides them with tools that writers can use to their advantage depending on the content of their rhetoric, or allows them change genre to benefit the effectiveness of the rhetoric situation they are trying to create. As far as limits genre sets for the writer, it also holds certain expectations for the readers. The knowledge of what "kind" of text you are reading, gives the reader a certain set of guidelines they should expect as they read. For example, Devitt references the difference between a letter from a friend and a business proposal. The knowledge of either would influence how you would read the text and give you a set of expectations. Genre plays a vital role at either end of the rhetorical situation by influencing both the writer and the audience.
The role of genre in communication is to help create an appropriate response to a rhetorical situation when speaking in terms of the new concept of genre. In the old concept of genre its role is as a set of predetermined guidelines and classifications. Genre sets expectations if you are referring to the old concept because the reader automatically has predetermined notions of a piece of work because of the genre it is classified in. They may or may not give the piece of work a chance because of their personal views when it comes to a certain genre. It limits a writer when they are composing the piece because their audience is expecting certain content, especially if they already have a existing genre attached to their previous works. The writer cannot deviate from the conventions genres set.
More often than not, a composition is consciously made to fit a mould. The writer has an idea of the situation and how he/she wants to deal with it, and the genre is chosen specifically to aid in that process. I believe that this is very limiting, though. Conventions of each genre restrain composers from innovatively eliciting the desired reaction from the audience, and prevent the blending of genres, the stretching of genres and even the creation of new genres. It does, however, allow the writer to know the tried and true methods of effective writing and the precise ways to style their writing to gain the reaction that they desire.
Communication, on the other hand, is a broader topic. It has a wider possibility of genre, and it is less preconceived. In audible communication the method is less obvious since it is usually instantaneous and a method is not preemptively conceived. Afterwards, based on the organization, style, the reaction from the audience and other elements , a genre can be decided on. This gives the orator more of a freedom to experiment and amend his/her methods. The reactions of the audience do have a wider variability, and not all of them may be desired.
Genre, in communication, is designed to define a rhetorical situation. It gives the author expectations to fulfill and although it is the old definition of the word, genre still identifies a specific reader audience for that author, due to the topic they are approaching. With content, format, audience, purpose, and author of the piece as main pieces of genre's definition, it helps the author realize what would be too much, in which the author would lose a specific audience, and what was the right amount of information in order to gain an audience.
The role of genre in communication and composing varies depending on the definition of genre. In general, the conventional conception casts genre as a set of expectations and guidelines. It is said that a writer will write to a form and include accepted conventions, abide by certain rules, and understand a certain audience. A writer will use different words and structures in texts and prose, and tailors the work for different groups. Also, by labeling a work with a genre, the reader will know what to expect, and how to read and respond to it; for example a reader will go into reading an essay or a didactic piece differently than a work of fiction or book of poetry. Similarly, in Amy Devitt’s new conception, genre also dictates expectations; for Devitt, these expectations arise in recognition of a rhetorical situation, and guide accordingly. Genre reveals much about many things. It gives a reasonable expectation to the content and format of the work. The author and the author’s aim in writing the piece should also be clear. Upon reading, the author’s intended audience will also become clear based on the language used and the subject of the work among other factors. By Devitt’s definition, genre sets the expectation that the work will respond in an “appropriate” manner to a rhetorical situation. There are some limitations to genre, especially with the “old” definition. This definition often prescribes a rigid structure; in class, the analogy of “dumping content” into a “form box” was given. Much like students writing the dreaded “five-paragraph school essay,” writers were often expected to follow a formula and keep form and content separate. Also, with so many rules, conventions become constraints, and rigidity can stifle expression and artistry.
Genre helps define what is being communicated and it gives the audience a better understanding of what is being said. Genre gives the author a starting point. It allows the authour to work within a frame work and write for a specific audience. It sets an expectation for the author of what the audience is going to want or enjoy and it sets an expectation for the audience,so they will know what its about and what context it was composed in. It also sets limitations. The author has to stay within the frameworks of the genre. It limits what the author can talk about and how the author can go about saying what he/se wants to say.
Historically, genre has been used as a means of classifying different writing or speaking styles. It sets up the expectations of the tone of the piece as well as the content. It was considered the container model, in which content is simply shoved into a pre-existing format. This took away from the creative creation of literary work and inhibited self-expression.
Modern times have seen a shift from this view of genre to a more integrated role in the writing process. Genre is now working with content rather than enclosing it. Choosing the proper genre means choosing the appropriate response to a rhetorical situation. Genres are formed due to conventions, the use of similar tactics in similar situations. This also gives the audience a frame of reference to understand the work. People know what to expect from a business letter versus a friendly email.
Genre provides some of the constraints that restrict how one can respond to an exigence. Because of how the genre works, it half constructs the discourse for the author. Genres refer to format as well as content, and the expectations associated with them generate the result. For example, if you say you are creating a comic strip to comment on the social exigence of low body image among women, you can not do so effectively in prose; it does not meet the form requirements of the genre. Likewise, you cannot create your comic strip in a realistic art style; it doesn't fit the genre. However! You COULD make a comic strip in which the characters write prose or create a comic using realistic art; in essence, your discourse would satisfy the genre. In this way, genre has a hand in every composition, comic strip, movie, poem, and the like written in response to an exigence, whether the author is aware of the force it exerts or not.
Genre sets the boundaries of a text. By knowing the genre of what one is writing, he or she knows the typical parameters of their piece and how others tend to write similar documents--and the same goes for speaking. With genre, an author or orator knows what is expected of him or her in their speech or writing.
Genre sets a few expectations for the piece's creator. The most important expectations include the necessity to respond to a rhetorical situation and the use conventions. These expectations are somewhat limiting in that they keep a piece from being too far out of its range of audience. For these reasons, genre has importance.
Genre plays a multitude of crucial roles in communication. However our view of what genre exactly is is changing. Genre used to be this type of classification system. Something like a, “container model,” in the sense that everything was grouped into certain categories. Recently though, this description of genre has received quite a lot of negative press. Some feel, that with this description, genre limits the writer and ultimately forces him to create work that is inferior to the work that would have been created, if these restraints did not exist. Personally however, I feel as if a classification system is needed. It sets a certain amount of expectation within an audience. Whenever I buy books, I always shop by genre, because the items listed under my favorite genre—science fiction—generally tends to hold my interest better. Even still, genre is changing. The new description of genre is something that responds to a rhetorical situation. This new description is more intellectual, because it responds as well as constructs. Perhaps this new description of genre is superior to the old one. Still though, I think that even this new definition will run into a few snags. People are used to the old system, and change takes time. SO with that said, I do have high hopes for this new system. Only time will tell!
Genre is in many was an important piece of communication and literature. In communication, genre responds to situations, it is the form that contains all the content. If there is a situation at hand, then genre would be the form in which you respond to that situation. The form can be set up by religious beliefs, media, audience’s opinions or anything else, but it all responds to the same situation. In composing genre can be conflicting or positive depending on the responder’s view of the writer’s situation. Genre sets expectations of explanation because it can contain so many views and answers to one situation. Since genre is the form of response for situations it is always very intentional and not just free expression on anything that the mind wants to compose, it is always just an action.
Genre is the setting someone chooses to communicate in. when I think of genre and communication what comes to mind is a kid deciding what he/she wants to listen to on their iTunes. There is a large selection of songs and all the songs in the library are of different genre. Using my iTunes analogy, if an individual chooses Lil Wayne from the library they should be communicating along the lines of little. Also, genre is the setting of the conversation. The setting preps the listener or reader for what to expect and get out of the illustration. The role genre plays in composing is vital, genre is the circumstance a writer or speaker chooses to write under. For example, during the Civil Rights Movement Martin Luther King Jr wrote speeches that empowered, inspired, and shocked individuals in America. What these speeches also did was respond appropriately to a rhetorical situation. These speeches where written in an era that was under a lot of racial tension which I believe is the genre. Like I mentioned before genre creates expectations for the reader/ listener, but it also creates expectations for the writer/speaker as well. Genre expects the speaker/ writer to respond appropriately and compel the audience to react to the situation. The limitations genre inscribes come under rare circumstances, if an individual does not respond accordingly it limits on to stay inside of the genre.
The role of genre in composition is that is sets a guide and expectations for both the writer to follow while making the rhetorical statement as well as the reader. When an author creates a work, they will be able to what readers of the particular genre they are writing to will enjoy. By doing this they are able to employ tools to better serve their audience and making their argument more valid. Genre also classifies literature so that readers can have knowledge about the author, context and argument before actually reading the work. This is also limiting because great novels could be pushed aside by readers who dislike the genre the novel is lumped into. Personally, I don’t read romance novels because I don’t find the genre appealing. As a nineteen year old male I would normally have no interest in the romance genre. However, there could be a brilliant novel in the genre that I would never have the chance to read because the genre as a whole alienates me. Also, sometimes writers may feel forced to write to what appeals to their audience instead of being able to push their creative limits. The may feel the need to continue to write to the same content over and over again.
ReplyDeleteGenre used to respond to rhetorical situations in the modern use of the term. However, genre was not always so; it was used as a classification system. Though genre is used to respond to rhetorical situations in the modern context, the idea of categorizing is still prominent, and provides the writer with an idea of who is the audience. In response, the audience is able to respond to the text appropriately depending on the genre. When composing, genre provides the writer with a sense of not only the audience to whom he or she is writing, but also a form to go by. This could be anything from a letter to a friend, a novel, a comic stripe, to a newspaper or magazine. The reader, by knowing the genre can then determine what the content, form, and purpose of the piece will be. Genre, however, does have its limitations. By knowing what a genre is, the text may or may not be read by a large audience. For example, if there were a debatable piece on a religion, one can assume that a limitation of publicity would be those who were a part of that religion. What the genre is, is not the only limitation available. Genre within itself can set limitations for the writer, assuming that he or she have to stick to a status quo. The development of a new genre may not be successful. Many debate that with a rhetorical situation, genre grows due to that situation. Therefore, genre is constantly being recycled and reused.
ReplyDeleteGenre plays a crucial role in communication. The old view of genre insisted that genres were classification systems, a type of taxonomy for pieces of writing. Genres followed conventions accordingly, and form and content were separated so that content was “dumped into” the specified form. In this old view, genre was important in the role of communicating because people knew what to expect when they decided to read or write in a certain genre. As an example, if a teacher instructed a student to write a five paragraph essay to his parents about how they have affected his life, the student would fill the essay with content pertaining to the topic because that is what the genre called for. What if, instead, the student felt he could get his point across better in a poem? This leads to the new view of genre, as something that is alive, that responds to situations and constructs them. Genres are still seen as ways to classify, but they are more flexible than ever before. Different genres can even get the same general message across, as we have learned from the Barbie Battles. The different types of medium still sent the message that Barbie portrayed an unattainable physique to young girls across the globe. Genre also plays a role in composing. When a person sits down to think about what he is going to write, he constructs his thoughts around a genre once he decides what situation he will respond to. If he knows he will be writing about a fictional serial killer, he will tailor his work to have a sense of mystery, including specific diction and syntax that will enhance a thrilling tone. Genre sets expectations and inscribes limitations. As a reader or writer, when we select a certain genre we are able to make assumptions about the work including the content that will be discussed, the format of the work, the audience we are trying to reach, the purpose of the text, and the author’s point of view and values. The limitations that are inscribed only affect the writer if the writer allows them to. For example, if a student is given an assignment with clear instructions on how to construct his paper, he will be limited in the choices he makes. Writers of books do not have this problem of having to comply with a teacher so they have free reign over what they write and how they use conventions and grammar.
ReplyDeleteGenre and Communication are what makes effective rhetoric. Genre is what people need to consider before publishing or reciting what they want to communicate. Through genre the communicator/rhetor can figure out what their intended audience is to be, how their from of communication should be presented, the content they want to be presented in their rhetoric, their main purpose and goal they need to get across to their audience, and what they should reveal about themselves to the audience so they can be sure the audience will want to learn about what they are communicating. Thus is the role of genre in composing as well.
ReplyDeleteGenre is also a classification. It puts certain types of rhetoric in certain fields that have already been disputed. Like the fight for pro choice or against it; this subject already an issue that has been disputed over many times over many years, but still there are many different genres being produced by many different people through different mediums. However, these genres will be classified under the main issue the genre is fighting for or against like the example of pro choice that was used. So there are some limitations to genre because there are so many ones being created they just pile up under the same category.
Genre is suppose to tell the intended audience what they are about to be exposed to. So genre in itself has expectations that need to be applied especially for the given medium that the rhetor is using to communicate. The genre tells the audience everything; it tells them about the content, the format, the intended audience, the purpose of the rhetoric, and what makes this author worth reading. So a certain genre is what a certain audience is more attracted to. So when composing rhetoric the author must always look at the genre because it will tell them everything.
Genre is an important part of composition and communication. Without meaning to, an author by writing their thoughts, opinions or research is choosing their audience. Through their message and purpose of writing, the author creates a work with a distinct form and function. These characteristics limit the reception of the book to a specific audience who will be interested. A book based on the historical facts of American Revolution is unlikely to be popular among many groups aside from historians or students. A novel based on the same historical event, however, may be because the genre has changed as well as the form, function and message. Each of those books create limitations on themselves because of their content. They also create expectations in the audience about the author’s opinions or message as well as how interesting it may or may not be or how much fact is included.
ReplyDeleteI find genre to be an imperative and vital part of communication. In regards to composition genre allows the author to specialize and gear his text towards a particular audience. However, the most important aspect of genre in my opinion, is its contribution to the reader or consumer. Content exists in an innumerable amount of forms. Even if assigning genres to certain works does tend to simplify the artistic integrity and confine the reader's point of view, I still consider it to be necessary. If it weren't for genres how would we, the readers find things we enjoy reading amongst the ocean of titles. For instance, classifying a movie in a horror section of a video store, prevents little kids from watching it, and the last thing adults want is to terrify small children.
ReplyDeleteGenre's role in communication helps to define the content, format, audience, purpose, and author of the piece. It also helps to define the rhetorical situation. It plays a key role in construction if the limitations are too rigid. Too much, and one finds it difficult to write. Not enough, and you lose the sense of the genre itself. Depending on the genre, it sets different expectations and narrows a reader's point of view.
ReplyDeleteThis weeks' reading opened my eyes to the art of genre. I had assumed it was something that authors just fit into, it never dawned on me that writers aspired to conform to a genre, which seems really ignorant after the readings. For example, if someone really admires Vonnegut's postmodernist writing, it makes sense that they will attempt to write a postmodern novel, limiting themselves to Vonnegut's style; in this sense, I do agree that genre may be limiting. On the other hand, with composing, isn't it true that all literature is a story previously told, and twisted to make your own? So as someone conforms to a genre, I would imagine they dually change it with their own style and in such, create a new genre.
ReplyDeleteI feel that genre plays a crucial role in communication, as it provides the guidelines for writers to express their ideas effectively to their targeted audiences. Genre can both enable them to fit their work into a specific mold as well as to push them to create their own variation of genre. Genre provides them with tools that writers can use to their advantage depending on the content of their rhetoric, or allows them change genre to benefit the effectiveness of the rhetoric situation they are trying to create. As far as limits genre sets for the writer, it also holds certain expectations for the readers. The knowledge of what "kind" of text you are reading, gives the reader a certain set of guidelines they should expect as they read. For example, Devitt references the difference between a letter from a friend and a business proposal. The knowledge of either would influence how you would read the text and give you a set of expectations. Genre plays a vital role at either end of the rhetorical situation by influencing both the writer and the audience.
ReplyDeleteThe role of genre in communication is to help create an appropriate response to a rhetorical situation when speaking in terms of the new concept of genre. In the old concept of genre its role is as a set of predetermined guidelines and classifications. Genre sets expectations if you are referring to the old concept because the reader automatically has predetermined notions of a piece of work because of the genre it is classified in. They may or may not give the piece of work a chance because of their personal views when it comes to a certain genre. It limits a writer when they are composing the piece because their audience is expecting certain content, especially if they already have a existing genre attached to their previous works. The writer cannot deviate from the conventions genres set.
ReplyDeleteMore often than not, a composition is consciously made to fit a mould. The writer has an idea of the situation and how he/she wants to deal with it, and the genre is chosen specifically to aid in that process. I believe that this is very limiting, though. Conventions of each genre restrain composers from innovatively eliciting the desired reaction from the audience, and prevent the blending of genres, the stretching of genres and even the creation of new genres. It does, however, allow the writer to know the tried and true methods of effective writing and the precise ways to style their writing to gain the reaction that they desire.
ReplyDeleteCommunication, on the other hand, is a broader topic. It has a wider possibility of genre, and it is less preconceived. In audible communication the method is less obvious since it is usually instantaneous and a method is not preemptively conceived. Afterwards, based on the organization, style, the reaction from the audience and other elements , a genre can be decided on. This gives the orator more of a freedom to experiment and amend his/her methods. The reactions of the audience do have a wider variability, and not all of them may be desired.
Genre, in communication, is designed to define a rhetorical situation. It gives the author expectations to fulfill and although it is the old definition of the word, genre still identifies a specific reader audience for that author, due to the topic they are approaching. With content, format, audience, purpose, and author of the piece as main pieces of genre's definition, it helps the author realize what would be too much, in which the author would lose a specific audience, and what was the right amount of information in order to gain an audience.
ReplyDeleteThe role of genre in communication and composing varies depending on the definition of genre. In general, the conventional conception casts genre as a set of expectations and guidelines. It is said that a writer will write to a form and include accepted conventions, abide by certain rules, and understand a certain audience. A writer will use different words and structures in texts and prose, and tailors the work for different groups. Also, by labeling a work with a genre, the reader will know what to expect, and how to read and respond to it; for example a reader will go into reading an essay or a didactic piece differently than a work of fiction or book of poetry. Similarly, in Amy Devitt’s new conception, genre also dictates expectations; for Devitt, these expectations arise in recognition of a rhetorical situation, and guide accordingly.
ReplyDeleteGenre reveals much about many things. It gives a reasonable expectation to the content and format of the work. The author and the author’s aim in writing the piece should also be clear. Upon reading, the author’s intended audience will also become clear based on the language used and the subject of the work among other factors. By Devitt’s definition, genre sets the expectation that the work will respond in an “appropriate” manner to a rhetorical situation.
There are some limitations to genre, especially with the “old” definition. This definition often prescribes a rigid structure; in class, the analogy of “dumping content” into a “form box” was given. Much like students writing the dreaded “five-paragraph school essay,” writers were often expected to follow a formula and keep form and content separate. Also, with so many rules, conventions become constraints, and rigidity can stifle expression and artistry.
Genre helps define what is being communicated and it gives the audience a better understanding of what is being said. Genre gives the author a starting point. It allows the authour to work within a frame work and write for a specific audience. It sets an expectation for the author of what the audience is going to want or enjoy and it sets an expectation for the audience,so they will know what its about and what context it was composed in. It also sets limitations. The author has to stay within the frameworks of the genre. It limits what the author can talk about and how the author can go about saying what he/se wants to say.
ReplyDeleteHistorically, genre has been used as a means of classifying different writing or speaking styles. It sets up the expectations of the tone of the piece as well as the content. It was considered the container model, in which content is simply shoved into a pre-existing format. This took away from the creative creation of literary work and inhibited self-expression.
ReplyDeleteModern times have seen a shift from this view of genre to a more integrated role in the writing process. Genre is now working with content rather than enclosing it. Choosing the proper genre means choosing the appropriate response to a rhetorical situation. Genres are formed due to conventions, the use of similar tactics in similar situations. This also gives the audience a frame of reference to understand the work. People know what to expect from a business letter versus a friendly email.
Genre provides some of the constraints that restrict how one can respond to an exigence. Because of how the genre works, it half constructs the discourse for the author. Genres refer to format as well as content, and the expectations associated with them generate the result. For example, if you say you are creating a comic strip to comment on the social exigence of low body image among women, you can not do so effectively in prose; it does not meet the form requirements of the genre. Likewise, you cannot create your comic strip in a realistic art style; it doesn't fit the genre. However! You COULD make a comic strip in which the characters write prose or create a comic using realistic art; in essence, your discourse would satisfy the genre. In this way, genre has a hand in every composition, comic strip, movie, poem, and the like written in response to an exigence, whether the author is aware of the force it exerts or not.
ReplyDeleteGenre sets the boundaries of a text. By knowing the genre of what one is writing, he or she knows the typical parameters of their piece and how others tend to write similar documents--and the same goes for speaking. With genre, an author or orator knows what is expected of him or her in their speech or writing.
ReplyDeleteGenre sets a few expectations for the piece's creator. The most important expectations include the necessity to respond to a rhetorical situation and the use conventions. These expectations are somewhat limiting in that they keep a piece from being too far out of its range of audience. For these reasons, genre has importance.
Genre plays a multitude of crucial roles in communication. However our view of what genre exactly is is changing. Genre used to be this type of classification system. Something like a, “container model,” in the sense that everything was grouped into certain categories. Recently though, this description of genre has received quite a lot of negative press. Some feel, that with this description, genre limits the writer and ultimately forces him to create work that is inferior to the work that would have been created, if these restraints did not exist. Personally however, I feel as if a classification system is needed. It sets a certain amount of expectation within an audience. Whenever I buy books, I always shop by genre, because the items listed under my favorite genre—science fiction—generally tends to hold my interest better. Even still, genre is changing. The new description of genre is something that responds to a rhetorical situation. This new description is more intellectual, because it responds as well as constructs. Perhaps this new description of genre is superior to the old one. Still though, I think that even this new definition will run into a few snags. People are used to the old system, and change takes time. SO with that said, I do have high hopes for this new system. Only time will tell!
ReplyDeleteBrittany writes:
ReplyDeleteGenre is in many was an important piece of communication and literature. In communication, genre responds to situations, it is the form that contains all the content. If there is a situation at hand, then genre would be the form in which you respond to that situation. The form can be set up by religious beliefs, media, audience’s opinions or anything else, but it all responds to the same situation. In composing genre can be conflicting or positive depending on the responder’s view of the writer’s situation. Genre sets expectations of explanation because it can contain so many views and answers to one situation. Since genre is the form of response for situations it is always very intentional and not just free expression on anything that the mind wants to compose, it is always just an action.
Genre is the setting someone chooses to communicate in. when I think of genre and communication what comes to mind is a kid deciding what he/she wants to listen to on their iTunes. There is a large selection of songs and all the songs in the library are of different genre. Using my iTunes analogy, if an individual chooses Lil Wayne from the library they should be communicating along the lines of little. Also, genre is the setting of the conversation. The setting preps the listener or reader for what to expect and get out of the illustration. The role genre plays in composing is vital, genre is the circumstance a writer or speaker chooses to write under. For example, during the Civil Rights Movement Martin Luther King Jr wrote speeches that empowered, inspired, and shocked individuals in America. What these speeches also did was respond appropriately to a rhetorical situation. These speeches where written in an era that was under a lot of racial tension which I believe is the genre. Like I mentioned before genre creates expectations for the reader/ listener, but it also creates expectations for the writer/speaker as well. Genre expects the speaker/ writer to respond appropriately and compel the audience to react to the situation. The limitations genre inscribes come under rare circumstances, if an individual does not respond accordingly it limits on to stay inside of the genre.
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