Acting with genres: discursive-ethical concepts for reflecting on and legitimating genres
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Acting with genres: discursive-ethical concepts for reflecting on and legitimating genres Fahri Yetim1 1
Information Science, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany Correspondence: Fahri Yetim, Information Science, University of Hildesheim, Marienburger Platz 22, Hildesheim D-31141, Germany. Tel: þ 49 5121 883 805; Fax: þ 49 5121 883 802; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract The concept of genre represents a meaningful pattern of communication, which has been applied in the information systems field. Genres are socially constructed: they may consequently be socially more or less acceptable or contested. This paper focuses on the concept of communicative genre and addresses the issue of how meta-communication processes guided by discursive-ethical principles can promote a rational and legitimate definition, design and structuring of genres. Such a meta-communication process has not yet been thoroughly discussed in relation to the concept of genre as a means for structuring (organizational) communication. This paper claims to make the following contributions: firstly, it provides a wider spectrum of discursive concepts for critically reflecting on and discursive evaluation of the content and structures of genres and genre instances. Secondly, it demonstrates how different kinds of meta-communications (ex ante, in-action, and ex post) can be used to legitimate genres in a manner compatible with the discourse ethics. It illustrates the discourse-ethical viewpoint concerning the legitimacy of genre structuring processes and thus, also, the legitimacy of resultant norms and contents of communication, especially in global contexts. European Journal of Information Systems (2006) 15, 54–69. doi:10.1057/palgrave.ejis.3000595 Keywords: meta-communication; genre theory; discourse theory; discourse ethics; intercultural communication; critical evaluation
Background and motivation
Received: 27 May 2005 Revised: 16 December 2005 Accepted: 3 January 2006
Action and reflection are two central concepts in information systems. People act until they experience a breakdown, which then leads them to ¨ n, 1983). To improve the activities, reflect upon their activities (Scho reflections on actions may be anticipatory (before the action), contemporaneous (during the action), or retrospective (after the action). The language-action perspective (LAP) on communication modeling is one of the theoretical orientations that emphasize the importance of action and reflection in designing useable, useful, and legitimate information systems (Goldkuhl & Lyytinen, 1982; Winograd & Flores, 1986). In this perspective, communication is viewed as action. To conceptualize communication actions, most approaches have considered concepts from the speech-act theory (Austin, 1962; Searle, 1969; Habermas, 1984). Speech act refers to an utterance and represents the smallest meaningful unit of communication. Speech-act-based modeling has also been controversially discussed (Suchman, 1994; Winograd 1994; Ljungberg & Holm, 1996). Another promising concept for con
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