1. Before
reading the Dirk article did you have a narrow view of genre as being limited
to drama, comedy, action, etc.? Or did you already have an understanding that
genre could be as specific as a love letter, Facebook status, or State of the
Union address? What in-class exercises might we use to help our students be
aware of how genre applies to them on a daily basis?
2. Is it
possible to reconcile Devitt’s belief that “genre is a dynamic response to and
construction of recurring situations” with the tradiational views of genre as a
“form and text type?” If so, how?
Hi David, in response to your second question, I think that Devitt places one within the other. She positions genre as this huge part of writing that mediates between situation and response to create meaning, which is far more than just form and text type. However, form and text type still communicate as signposts of genre to the audience, but they are just some of the surface level results of genre, not the beginning and end of it.
ReplyDeleteI think my ideas of what genre can be shifted when I started observing the 2135 class. As a student the idea of genre has not been a part of my coursework since high school, and at the time it was these broad level ideas. So when I first knew that 2135 was a discussion of genres, I was, admittedly, a little confused. I think that one thing that really trips me up about the idea of genres is the distinction between something being a type or variation of a genre and when it becomes its own genre entirely.
ReplyDeleteHello David! Yes, I was aware that genre went beyond drama, horror, farce, etc. before I read this article. To respond to the other part of the question, something as simple as having the students write letters to each other about an event they all witnessed or a piece about the last thing they ate, will do!
ReplyDelete1. Before starting bootcamp, I was not aware of genre transcending the typical usage of it such as the ones you listed. I usually thought of things such as love letters or speeches as different mediums rather than genres. As far as in-class exercises, I would definitely lead a discussion alongside some projected examples to ensure that students understood the concept of genre and how it is fluid.
ReplyDelete