Prior to reading Amy J. Devitt’s “Generalizing about Genre: New Conceptions of an Old Concept,” I knew the general definition of genre. I found the passage to be very interesting, yet hard to grasp concept of. According to the article, the common understanding of genre is a trivial concept, which is classified from literary criticism according to the texts’ forms. Genre affects the way one writes, reads and how it encourages the “form and content, product and process, individual and society” in the field. Ms. Devitt disputes over the revision of one’s thoughts of what genre really is, which aids people in resolving the dichotomies that prevent ones from preparing an “integrated, unified theory of writing.” Through her article, she distinguished previous impressions of genre as relying on formal features, while proposing a new conception that views genre as a reply to chronic rhetorical situations.
Personally, I believe genre is classified of similar things grouped together based on their forms. After reviewing this article, I now know that genre is not just based off a form, but is more of an outline for writers to be aware of what is expected of them. Devitt describes her idea of genre when she states “Understanding genre requires understanding more than just classification schemes; it requires understanding the origins of the patterns on which those classifications are based,” meaning one must focus more on background information, allowing one to make classifications. I fully understood Devitt’s theory of genre when she pronounces the idea that “knowing the genre means knowing not only […] how to conform to generic conventions but also how to respond appropriately to a given situation,” elucidating the idea that genre is not a “set in stone” process, but rather a guide line.
Even though I was confused for many parts of Devitt’s article, I was able to grasp her concept of genre by her techniques and in-depth explanations. Amy Devitt’s article clarifies that genre is always changing and therefore is more unified and complex than previous genre’s. Overall, “Generalizing about Genre: New Conceptions of an Old Concept” was an eye-opening article which allowed me to advance my knowledge in the world of genre.
Devitt, A.J.,(1993). Generalizing about Genre: New Conceptions of an Old Concept. College Composition and Communication, Vol. 44 (4) pp.575-584
Why Devitt?
Amy Devitt’s article “Generalizing about Genre” allowed me to reflect on her writing techniques and therefore, grasp her concept of genre. She believed that genre shifts from text to patterns of experiences. I choose this article because she gave me a definition of genre, which then allowed me to not only learn what genre is but express my thoughts of genre in writing.
Also, I choose this post because I had already done some previous postings and believe this is the discussion that depicts me grasping the purpose behind discussion postings. Understanding her concept of genre assisted me in this course because I was able to conduct the assignment, the genre analysis.
Personally, I believe genre is classified of similar things grouped together based on their forms. After reviewing this article, I now know that genre is not just based off a form, but is more of an outline for writers to be aware of what is expected of them. Devitt describes her idea of genre when she states “Understanding genre requires understanding more than just classification schemes; it requires understanding the origins of the patterns on which those classifications are based,” meaning one must focus more on background information, allowing one to make classifications. I fully understood Devitt’s theory of genre when she pronounces the idea that “knowing the genre means knowing not only […] how to conform to generic conventions but also how to respond appropriately to a given situation,” elucidating the idea that genre is not a “set in stone” process, but rather a guide line.
Even though I was confused for many parts of Devitt’s article, I was able to grasp her concept of genre by her techniques and in-depth explanations. Amy Devitt’s article clarifies that genre is always changing and therefore is more unified and complex than previous genre’s. Overall, “Generalizing about Genre: New Conceptions of an Old Concept” was an eye-opening article which allowed me to advance my knowledge in the world of genre.
Devitt, A.J.,(1993). Generalizing about Genre: New Conceptions of an Old Concept. College Composition and Communication, Vol. 44 (4) pp.575-584
Why Devitt?
Amy Devitt’s article “Generalizing about Genre” allowed me to reflect on her writing techniques and therefore, grasp her concept of genre. She believed that genre shifts from text to patterns of experiences. I choose this article because she gave me a definition of genre, which then allowed me to not only learn what genre is but express my thoughts of genre in writing.
Also, I choose this post because I had already done some previous postings and believe this is the discussion that depicts me grasping the purpose behind discussion postings. Understanding her concept of genre assisted me in this course because I was able to conduct the assignment, the genre analysis.
