Toward a Unified Social Theory of Genre Learning

TitleToward a Unified Social Theory of Genre Learning
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2008
AuthorsArtemeva, Natasha
JournalJournal of Business & Technical Communication
Volume22
Pagination160–185
Keywordsactivity theory, engineering communication, genre, situated learning
Abstract

This article discusses the development of a unified social theory of genrelearning based on the integration of rhetorical genre studies, activity theory,
and the situated learning perspective. The article proposes that these three
theoretical perspectives are compatible and complementary, and it illustrates
applications of a unified framework to a study of genre learning by novice
engineers. The author draws examples from a longitudinal qualitative study
of a group of novice engineers who developed their professional genre
knowledge through both academic and workplace experiences. These examples
illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework for the study of
professional genre learning.