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GENRE AS ADMINISTERED SOCIAL AND RHETORICAL ACTIVITY: THE DEVELOPMENT OF FAMILY SERVICE CASE RECORDING

McFadden, James J.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1032467460

Abstract Details

2002, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, English.
This dissertation advances the discussion of genre as social action initiated in Composition and Rhetoric in 1984 by Carolyn R. Miller. I connect several theoretical contributions to that discussion with original, historical research into genre formation and maintenance. This inductive, historical research explores the administrative relationships that exist between the composing processes of writers of disciplinary and professional genres and the dissemination processes of the authors and editors of written genres. In particular, my study presents the developmental history of two 19th century recording genres which were eventually combined as the Family Service Case Record. Today, this professional recording genre maintains the case work of millions of U.S. social workers in thousands of family service agencies. In that professional role, the genre affects the lives of hundreds of millions of individuals and families across the nation. I report how and why social reformers combined two 19th century recording genres as the Family Service Case Record in 1918. I explain why the earlier of these two antecedent genres, the Charity Investigation Record, was developed by the administrators of the Associations for the Improvement of the Condition of the Poor in 1843. I also show why the nation’s Charity Organization Societies adopted the Charity Investigation Record in 1877 and, later, revised it into a new recording genre, the Social Reform Case Record. I explain how and why a second line of genre development, the Charitable Statistics Record, was originated in 1888 by members of the National Conference of Charities and Correction. I also show why Charity Organization Societies adopted that additional recording genre in 1899. By tracing these two lines of genre development, I am able to explain how and why Charity Organization administrators combined the Social Reform Case Record and the Charitable Statistics Record as the Family Service Case Record in 1918. From that historical evidence, I draw and propose a supplemental definition of genre as social action: successful written genres are constructed and administered as a set of specific reader expectations that, in turn, deploy a genre of reinforcing social and rhetorical activities to the members of a rhetorical community.
Paul Anderson (Advisor)
Language, Rhetoric and Composition
Composition and Rhetoric; genre; genre analysis; genre formation; Social work case recording; Family Service Case Record; family service case recording

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • McFadden, J. J. (2002). GENRE AS ADMINISTERED SOCIAL AND RHETORICAL ACTIVITY: THE DEVELOPMENT OF FAMILY SERVICE CASE RECORDING [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1032467460

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • McFadden, James. GENRE AS ADMINISTERED SOCIAL AND RHETORICAL ACTIVITY: THE DEVELOPMENT OF FAMILY SERVICE CASE RECORDING. 2002. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1032467460.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • McFadden, James. "GENRE AS ADMINISTERED SOCIAL AND RHETORICAL ACTIVITY: THE DEVELOPMENT OF FAMILY SERVICE CASE RECORDING." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2002. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1032467460

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by Miami University and OhioLINK.