Abstract
Purpose
This chapter offers a re-description of knowledge organization in light of genre and activity theory. Knowledge organization needs a new description in order to account for those activities and practices constituting and causing concrete knowledge organization activity. Genre and activity theory is put forward as a framework for situating such a re-description.
Findings
By means of genre and activity theory, the chapters argues that understanding the genre and activity systems, in which every form of knowledge organization is embedded, makes us capable of seeing how knowledge organization, as a genre, both can be a tool and an object in genred human activities.
Originality/value
In contrast to much research into knowledge organization, this chapter does not emphasize techniques, standards, or rules to be the sole object of study. Instead, an emphasis is put on the genre and activity systems informing and shaping concrete forms of knowledge organization activity. With this, we are able to understand how knowledge organization activity also contributes to construct genre and activity systems and not only aid them.
This chapter offers a re-description of knowledge organization in light of genre and activity theory. Knowledge organization needs a new description in order to account for those activities and practices constituting and causing concrete knowledge organization activity. Genre and activity theory is put forward as a framework for situating such a re-description.
Findings
By means of genre and activity theory, the chapters argues that understanding the genre and activity systems, in which every form of knowledge organization is embedded, makes us capable of seeing how knowledge organization, as a genre, both can be a tool and an object in genred human activities.
Originality/value
In contrast to much research into knowledge organization, this chapter does not emphasize techniques, standards, or rules to be the sole object of study. Instead, an emphasis is put on the genre and activity systems informing and shaping concrete forms of knowledge organization activity. With this, we are able to understand how knowledge organization activity also contributes to construct genre and activity systems and not only aid them.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Genre theory in information studies |
| Editors | Jack Andersen |
| Number of pages | 29 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Publisher | Emerald Group Publishing |
| Publication date | 2015 |
| Edition | 1 |
| Pages | 13 - 42 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-78441-255-5 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-1-78441-254-8 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2015 |
| Series | Studies in Information |
|---|---|
| Volume | 11 |
| ISSN | 2055-5377 |
Keywords
- Faculty of Humanities
- Genre theory
- activity theory
- activity systems
- knowledge organization