Genre, ideology, and knowledge in academic research and public policy

Resumo

In the last 30 years genre scholars have explored the ideological dimension of genre, illustrating how genres compel individuals to act in certain ways and how individuals respond to them. This article takes the ideological view of genre and analyzes the problem of knowledge mobilization as an ideological negotiation between research and legal genres. Using Foucault’s will to truth and Bhatia’s colonization, this case study analyzes one Canadian public inquiry that used psychology research and influenced many legal and policy documents. The analysis of the commission report, transcripts from the preliminary hearing, and interviews reveal the manner in which judicial ideology is inscribed in judicial genres that regulate the extent and manner of knowledge mobilization.