ABSTRACT
This chapter explains a theoretical framework for understanding plagiarism. It views context through the lens of theories of discourse and genre, arguing that control of powerful discourses and the genres in which they are expressed is a crucial means of access. Academic discourses are deeply yet often unconsciously understood by those who practise them daily. Using the word 'culture' is one way of describing how institutions and social groupings have particular social meanings and ideologies which are expressed in language in systematic ways. Kress defines discourses as systematically organized sets of statements which give expression to the meanings and values of an institution. Academic discourse becomes a gatekeeper, denying access to social goods to those who do not succeed. In a post-apartheid South Africa, a substantial proportion of our students still come from poor educational backgrounds. Street regards the notion of empowerment through making genres explicit as a simplification of the way power structures work.
