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Emerging Genres in New Media Environments pp 1–34Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

“Where Do Genres Come From?”

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Abstract

This introductory chapter examines the nature of “emergence” as an explanatory concept for understanding genre innovation, contrasting it with the associated concept of “evolution,” which has also been used widely. In asking the question “Where do genres come from?” the author seeks to understand not only where they come from (that is, their antecedent conditions and causes), but also how they come about (that is, the social and material promoters of and motives for change), and why they “emerge” (that is, why their reception is seen as something new and different). A review of prior studies examines how genre has been conceived, how transformation is understood and documented, how causes and motives and conditions are characterized, and how the role of technological medium has been implicated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of English (emerita), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Carolyn R. Miller

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. (Emerita), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

    Carolyn R. Miller

  2. Department of English Language & Literature, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

    Ashley R. Kelly

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Miller, C.R. (2017). “Where Do Genres Come From?”. In: Miller, C., Kelly, A. (eds) Emerging Genres in New Media Environments. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40295-6_1

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