Learning Outcome Three: All About Genres
At the beginning of this semester I had a very narrow-minded view about genres. I thought that they were nice, neat, little boxes that everything could be fit into. Man, was I wrong. What I've come to discover is that genres are complex, broad, categories that criss-cross and overlap with one another.
I've also learned how to create texts in different types of genres. I'd like to think I've become pretty good at researching different genres (it's amazing what typing "conventions of..." into Google will do for you). By doing my own research and also by looking at examples from different genres, I've learned how to identity key features of genres and how to use those features when creating a text in that genre.
My technique of genre research begins with Google. After I find out the basic conventions of a genre from different sources, I look at examples from the genre. When looking at those examples, I see what conventions they adhere to, which they don't, and if there are any other conventions that they add. After I have compiled a good sized list of conventions, I compose my own text. When composing my text, I am able to pick and choose which conventions I want to use and discuss why I chose them.
When doing research for the genre of movie posters, for example, the convention of taglines only applied to 2/3 of my poster sub-genres. I included a tagline for all three of my posters, though. I did this because I thought that adding a tagline would increase the amount of positive reception.
In my research, I've had to learn to look at a genre through CHAT. Who is the target audience? For fairy-tales, the target audience is usually children. For blog posts, the target audience is usually a little older. How is it produced? A paper and pen? A computer? What activity is involved? When making a movie poster, a whole team of people is involved. When writing a fairy-tale, it's usually just the author.
CHAT has helped me better understand genres and how to produce them. By analyzing a genre through CHAT, I am able to better produce an example of that genre.
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