Suggested Readings
Learn more about Rhetorical Genre Theory
Bawarshi, A. S. & Reiff, M. J. (2010). Genre: An introduction to history, theory, research, and pedagogy. Parlor Press; WAC Clearinghouse.
This is a powerhouse of a book, providing a depth of coverage on everything genre. Check out chapters 6 (“Rhetorical Genre Studies” and 11 (“Rhetorical Genre Studies Approaches to Teaching Writing”) for specific primers to topics related to this resource.
Devitt, A. J. (2004). Writing genres. Southern Illinois University Press.
In this book, Devitt built upon Miller’s original arguments in “Genre as Social Action” by emphasizing two ideas: a deep appreciation of the impact genre has on culture and the extent to which genres inform the creation and mediation of other genres. In addition, Devitt succeeded in describing rhetorical genre theory in a much more approachable way than Miller. If you only read one chapter, pick the first, “A Theory of Genre,” which offers a great primer to RGT.
Freadman, A. (2003). Anyone for tennis? In A. Freedman & P. Medway (Eds.), Genre in the new rhetoric (pp. 38–56). Taylor & Francis.
If you prefer a metaphor to assist in understanding theory, this is the writing for you. Freadman’s metaphor hinges on considering two interrelated concepts: a game and the ceremonies that assist those who enact the game. For example, Wimbledon is much more than the rules of tennis, but the rules of tennis are integral to the tournament. Removing Freadman’s metaphor from the piece, the argument remains: a singular genre never exists alone; genres always interrelate and co-exist.
Miller, C. R. (1984). Genre as social action. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 70(2), 151–167. https://doi.org/10.1080/00335638409383686
With this article, Miller theorized our modern understanding of rhetorical genre theory. In it, Miller argued the definition of genre must change; instead of defining genre as the form or substance of what is communicated, genre should be defined by the action it accomplishes. It’s a tricky piece to comprehend, but a necessary read if you’re interested in the foundations of the concept.
Learn more about Genre Pedagogies
Devitt, A. J. (2014). Genre pedagogies. In G. Tate, A. Rupiper Taggart, K. Schick, & H. B. Hessler (Eds.), A Guide to Composition Pedagogies (2nd ed., pp. 146–162). Oxford University Press.
This is the first piece of writing on genre I read, and it opened my eyes to the connections that could exist between teaching genre in the composition or the library classroom. Quite simply, Devitt breaks down the different methods of teaching genre in an easy-to-read fashion. Read this if you’re looking for a practical understanding of genre pedagogies in their native landscape.
WAW Steering Committee (n.d.). Writing about Writing Network. Writing about Writing Network. Retrieved November 5, 2020, from https://writingaboutwriting.net/
The Writing about Writing Network is an informal group of educators who have come together to create a community for sharing ideas and educational resources. There’s serious crossover between these approaches and what can be done in the library classroom. This is a good resource to scroll through when you need inspiration.
Learn more about how librarians are already using RGT
Andersen, J. (2009). The concept of genre in information studies. Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, 42(1), 339–367.
Andersen is doing the work when it comes to connecting theories of genre with librarianship. This is one of several articles Andersen has written on the subject, but it proves to be the most foundational. Andersen looked at librarianship broadly, not dealing explicitly with the those of us who teach, instead concerned with a more general look at the field. Andersen’s main argument is, because librarians deal heavily with modes of communication, and rhetorical genre theory offers a different path to approach and understand communication, it is appropriate and necessary for librarians to consider communication as generic and rhetorical.
Burkholder, J. (2010). Redefining sources as social acts: Genre theory in information literacy instruction. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-Journal). https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/413
Burkholder proves to be a critical and creative voice in the field of librarianship and one of the few working today to connect library instruction and rhetorical genre. In this article, Burkholder criticized contemporary pedagogies used by librarians when they stop short of examining the “sources” found during a library search. Burkholder’s writing offers a necessary reminder that sources aren’t neutral, instead situated both socially and rhetorically in our world.
Burkholder, J. (2019). Interpreting the conventions of scholarship: Rhetorical implications of the ACRL Framework. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 19(1), 295–314.
In this article Burkholder theorizes what it might look like for librarians to create workshops and sessions meant to encourage teaching faculty and instructors to teach toward the rhetorical and generic situation that is often implicitly discussed in the classroom. If you’re excited by the idea of “training the trainer,” start your research here.
Reidsma, M. (2019). Masked by trust: Bias in library discovery. Litwin Books.
Reidsma doesn’t explicitly mention genre in this book, but he nonetheless examines library discovery tools and profit-making search engines as such. His analysis could prove helpful, particular chapter 3 on “Library Discovery,” for any librarian interested in teaching about library discovery tools and databases as explicit genres. This book could also be used in an undergraduate class about research and information modeled after the Writing about Writing teaching method.
Simmons, M. H. (2005). Librarians as disciplinary discourse mediators: Using genre theory to move toward critical information literacy. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 5(3), 297–311. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2005.0041
In this article, Simmons, mostly spurred by the deficiencies of the ACRL Standards, urged librarians to teach information literacy critically. The rhetorical nature of genre plays a small but integral part to her argument. Simmons’s argument was foundational at the time and still holds up fifteen years and one update to ACRL’s teaching recommendations later.
