Genres

Genres can be defined as a way to guide and organize compositions. Some important things to know about genres, according to the Bedford Book of Genres, is that genres can change according to the ways people use them, genres can be flexible, and genres help you focus on the needs of your audience while also helping you decide your purpose for composing something.

According to Kerry Dirk, genres can be complicated because two texts could fit into the same genre and might look completely different but genres also are able to help people accomplish their goals. There are a lot of possibilities that come with genres. Genres can help people get jobs, get into colleges, and even help win over someone's heart with a romantic love letter. Its up to you to decide what your use of a genre will be and consider your audiences and your purposes while doing so. According to Bitzer, genres are viewed as rhetorical situations. When a new situation happens it requires a first response and once the situation happens again a response it made using the basis of the first response. Nowadays, genres are now viewed as even more than rhetorical situations.

The most recent genre that I composed was an academic genre for a class I took part in last semester. I had to gather research about social networking and tell whether or not it was beneficial on society. Writing a research paper did not a new concept to me, I had to cite my material throughout my paper and persuade my audience to understand my stance on the research project. I knew what I was expected to write and I understood the features of my genre.