Written Communication Oct 1993

Rethinking Genre from a Sociocognitive Perspective

CAROL BERKENKOTTER ; THOMAS N. HUCKIN

Abstract

This article argues for an activity-based theory of genre knowledge. Drawing on empirical findings from case study research emphasizing “insider knowledge” and on structuration theory, activity theory, and rhetorical studies, the authors propose five general principles for genre theory: (a) Genres are dynamic forms that mediate between the unique features of individual contexts and the features that recur across contexts; (b) genre knowledge is embedded in communicative activities of daily and professional life and is thus a form of “situated cognition”; (c) genre knowledge embraces both form and content, including a sense of rhetorical appropriateness; (d) the use of genres simultaneously constitutes and reproduces social structures; and (e) genre conventions signal a discourse community's norms, epistemology, ideology, and social ontology.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
1993-10-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088393010004001
Open Access
Closed
Topics
genre theory discourse analysis qualitative research race and writing

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (30)

  1. Mehlenbacher et al. (2025)
    Synthetic Genres: Expert Genres, Non-Specialist Audiences, and Misinformation i…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Thieme (2022)
    A Play on Occlusion: Uptake of Letters to the University President
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  3. Driscoll et al. (2022)
    Threshold Genres: A 10-Year Exploration of a Medical Writer’s Development and S…
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  4. Zhang et al. (2022)
    Responding to Supervisory Feedback: Mediated Positioning in Thesis Writing
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  5. Cooke (2021)
    Genre Uptake as Boundary-Work: Reasoning About Uptake in <i>Wikipedia</i> Articles
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Show all 30 →
  1. Ahmed (2021)
    “Helping Me Learn New Things Every Day”: The Power of Community College Student…
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  2. Tardy et al. (2020)
    Teaching and Researching Genre Knowledge: Toward an Enhanced Theoretical Framework
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  3. Ostergaard et al. (2019)
    “Other Stories to Tell”: Scholarly Journal Editors as Archivists
    College English
  4. Bray (2019)
    How Do Online News Genres Take Up Knowledge Claims From a Scientific Research A…
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  5. Wood (2018)
    Framing Wearing: Genre, Embodiment, and Exploring Wearable Technology in the Co…
    Computers and Composition
  6. Vetter et al. (2018)
    Writing Theory for the Multimajor Professional Writing Course
    Pedagogy
  7. Ford et al. (2015)
    Quad Charts in the Classroom to Reinforce Technical Communication Fundamentals
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  8. McNely et al. (2015)
    Contemporary Research Methodologies in Technical Communication
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  9. Panke et al. (2009)
    ``With My Head Up in the Clouds''
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  10. Bremner (2006)
    Politeness, Power, and Activity Systems
    Written Communication
  11. Scott (2005)
    Creating the Subject of Portfolios
    Written Communication
  12. Chambliss et al. (2003)
    Fourth Graders Composing Scientific Explanations About the Effects of Pollutants
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  13. Tardy (2003)
    A Genre System View of the Funding of Academic Research
    Written Communication
  14. WIEMELT (2001)
    Toward an Activity-Based Conception of Writing and School Writing Contexts
    Written Communication
  15. Zachry (2001)
    Constructing Usable Documentation: A Study of Communicative Practices and the E…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  16. BEAUFORT (2000)
    Learning the Trade
    Written Communication
  17. Zachry (2000)
    Communicative Practices in the Workplace: A Historical Examination of Genre Dev…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  18. CHAPMAN (1999)
    Situated, Social, Active
    Written Communication
  19. Artemeva et al. (1999)
    From page to stage: How theories of genre and situated learning help introduce …
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  20. McEACHERN (1998)
    Meeting Minutes as Symbolic Action
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  21. FREEDMAN et al. (1996)
    Learning to Write Professionally
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  22. FOERTSCH (1995)
    Where Cognitive Psychology Applies
    Written Communication
  23. RUDE (1995)
    The Report for Decision Making
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  24. PRIOR (1994)
    Response, Revision, Disciplinarity
    Written Communication
  25. FREEDMAN et al. (1994)
    Wearing Suits to Class
    Written Communication

Cites in this index (11)

  1. SCHRYER (1993)
    Records as Genre
    Written Communication
  2. MacDONALD (1992)
    A Method for Analyzing Sentence-Level Differences in Disciplinary Knowledge Making
    Written Communication
  3. Dyson (1991)
    Viewpoints: The Word and the World—Reconceptualizing Written Language Developme…
    Research in the Teaching of English
  4. FERRARA et al. (1991)
    Interactive Written Discourse as an Emergent Register
    Written Communication
  5. Daiute (1990)
    The Role of Play in Writing Development
    Research in the Teaching of English
Show all 11 →
  1. MacDONALD (1989)
    Data-Driven and Conceptually Driven Academic Discourse
    Written Communication
  2. KAUFER et al. (1989)
    Novelty in Academic Writing
    Written Communication
  3. Dyson (1988)
    Negotiating among Multiple Worlds: The Space/Time Dimensions of Young Children’…
    Research in the Teaching of English
  4. SWALES et al. (1987)
    The Writing of Research Article Introductions
    Written Communication
  5. BAZERMAN (1985)
    Physicists Reading Physics
    Written Communication
  6. Halloran (1984)
    The birth of molecular biology: An essay in the rhetorical criticism of scienti…
    Rhetoric Review
Also cites 20 works outside this index ↓
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CrossRef global citation count: 143 View in citation network →

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