Genre

Genres are fluid and historically changing categories, and there are different views about the scope and membership of specific genres. The literature generally agrees that genre is a matter of discrimination and taxonomy, and that it is concerned with organizing things into recognizable classes, existing as part of the relationship between texts and readers. Genre can be thought of as a sorting mechanism, and genres are not only a matter of codes and conventions but also call into play systems of use and social institutions (ISKO).

Reminder: Conventions are a genre’s general agreements about basic principles or procedures.

For example, the conventions of the detective genre include centering around an inquisitive protagonist that attempts to solve a mystery.

The conventions of a biology lab report, on the other hand, require precise, technical language and a strict organization style.

What is the writing genre?

You know about genre when talking about books, movies, or music. In writing, genre works the same way. It’s just a name for a kind of writing that follows a set of patterns people recognize.

In academic and professional writing, genre helps both writers and readers know what to expect. When thinking about an academic essay, a lab report, an email, each of these is a writing genre that has its own rules or conventions. These guidelines are not rigid, but they are standards that help a writer shape their own writing depending on the rhetorical situation (audience, writer, purpose, context and topic).

—Making Meaning With & Through Writing: An Approach to Research Writing, Ilknur Sancak-Marusa

What exactly are genre conventions?

These are the features that are present in a certain type of writing or genre. Think of these conventions as expectations people have when they read a particular kind or genre of text.

Genre conventions govern certain elements of the writing like structure/organization, tone, language, formatting and purpose. For example, when writing a lab report you have learned that the organization is straightforward, the content factual, and the writing in past tense.

If you think about a research essay, you include a clear thesis, follow a formal structure, incorporate evidence with analysis, and include proper documentation for sources. Conversely, if you were writing a text message, you would not follow any of the rules or conventions expected of an academic essay. Just like how you wouldn’t wear a tuxedo to a beach party (unless it was a special requirement of the invite), choosing the wrong style for a genre confuses your reader and does not achieve the intended writing goal.

Understanding the conventions helps you to dress your writing appropriately. When you understand the genre, you already have the map to your final goal. You don’t have to invent the format or guess how to present your ideas, because there is an established structure to help you. Further, using the right style and format shows your audience that you understand the genre which builds your credibility as a writer, making your writing more persuasive and trustworthy.

—Making Meaning With & Through Writing: An Approach to Research Writing, Ilknur Sancak-Marusa

Remember, every field, whether it’s science, business, education, or the humanities, has its own ways of writing and thinking. When you write according to the right genre conventions (the rules of the chosen type of writing), you’re
joining in that conversation using the language and style your readers expect.

When you start to see writing through the lens of genre, you’re better equipped to:

• Adjust your tone and style to different audiences.
• Organize your ideas in ways readers expect.
• Recognize patterns in writing, which makes reading and writing easier.
• Transfer your skills to new settings (like going from school writing to workplace writing).

Learning about genre (and its guiding conventions) is essential for effective writing in every rhetorical situation, because it helps you to read more critically, and also write more successfully. Further, understanding the way genres are tied
to certain specific conventions gives you the confidence to write for any given situation, even if it is a genre that you have yet to practice.

—Making Meaning With & Through Writing: An Approach to Research Writing, Ilknur Sancak-Marusa

Literary and Formal Writing

• Romantic comedy films
• Paranormal horror novels
• Haiku poems
• Argumentative research essays
• Resumes
• Business memos
• Scientific research hypotheses
• Self help guide
• Playwright
• Confucian proverbs

Other Types of Genre

Non-Literary/Fiction

• Discussion
• Explanation
• Report
• Instructions
• Recount
• Civil rights speech
• Still life portrait
• Baroque sculpture
• Oil painting
• Mid-century architecture

Extra Credit Exercise

For up to five extra credit points, create a list of examples for five different genres. Your examples can come in the form of attachments, links, excerpts, and images.

Sample

1. Historical fiction: “For here was the thing that no fairy tale would ever admit, but that she understood in that moment: love was not inherently good.” – Sunyi Dean, The Book Eaters
2. Shakespearean play: Hamlet, [link to full play]
3. Hip hop music: Mac Miller playlist, [link to spotify playlist]
4. Social worker case report: [link to Grand Challenges of Social Work article]
5. Incan architecture: [attachment of image]

Email your list to [email protected] with the subject line “Extra Credit”