A GENRE THEORY PERSPECTIVE ON DIGITAL ... - ETD

autobiographical documentarian in six weeks’ time. The products, these terrific nuggets that
captured rich experiences and insights, provided me with glimpses beyond the professional
facades of the individuals and into the intimate and moving spaces that only personal revelation
could give.
Three years later, after extensive reading into the literature around digital storytelling,
several small, experimental research projects around it, and a break from my academic pursuit
brought about by the birth of my two children, I returned to my doctoral studies, knowing that I
would like to arrive at a more in-depth understanding of the social, cultural, and individual
exigencies that gave rise to a great number of new literacy practices, digital storytelling being
one of them. After having participated in a workshop offered by the Center for Digital
storytelling and having finally found the appeal of my personal story and voice, I have grown
even more intrigued by the expansive reach of the cultural practices on a global level, its
conceptual and affective appeal at the individual level, and the reasons behind such appeals. That
is, what ideological, organizational, and discursive features have contributed to the accelerating
popularity of the cultural genre over the past 15 years? In what ways has digital storytelling
morphed as it travelled across geographical, temporal, and virtual spaces? In what ways is digital
storytelling helping to shape and structure people’s telling of personal stories? And more
importantly, how are individuals’ storytelling efforts reacting to the multiplicities of established
and new practices, including digital storytelling, oral storytelling, movie making, academic
writing, and etc.?
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