Genre: An Introduction to History Theory Research and Pedagogy (Reference Guides to Rhetoric and Composition)

Genre: An Introduction to History Theory Research and Pedagogy provides a critical overview of the rich body of scholarship that has informed a genre turn in Rhetoric and Composition including a range of interdisciplinary perspectives from rhetorical theory applied linguistics sociology philosophy cognitive psychology and literary theory. The book presents an historical overview of genre; describes key issues and theories that have led to the reconceptualization of genre over the last thirty years; examines current research and lines of development in the study of genre; provides examples of various methodologies for conducting genre research; and explores the possibilities and implications for using genre to teach writing at various levels and within different disciplines. While the book examines various traditions that have shaped the fields understanding of and approaches to genre what connects these various approaches is a commitment to the idea that genres reflect and coordinate social ways of knowing and acting in the world and thus provide valuable means of researching how texts function in various contexts and teaching students how to act meaningfully in multiple contexts.