Theories of Genre 1

Define:genre

The word “genre” is borrowed from French and derived from Latin and Greek – in all three its basic meaning is

kind, sort, class

Daniel Chandler(2001)

• explains how in literary and media theory genre is widely used to refer to

“a distinctive type of ‘text’ ”• According to Chandler, genres create order

to simplify the mass of available information. • Creating categories appeals to our need to

organise the chaos around us.

John Fiske(1989)agrees that genre is

a way of categorising texts.

Texts are divided into categories

based on common elements.

He states that

“Genre attempts to structure some order into the wide range of texts and meanings that circulate in our culture for the convenience of both audience and producers.”

• Using this definition, how / why is the concept of genre useful to– audiences?– institutions?–media students?

• What evidence do you have of your decisions about genre?

• In what ways were the reasons for your choice of genre based on audience or institution?

John Fiske(1989)

Hybridity & Sub-Genres

• All genres have sub-genres (genres within a genre).

• Texts often provide evidence of hybridity, where they splice together two or more genres.

• Both of these mean that genres are divided up

into more specific categories.

Barry Keith Grant(1995) • suggests that hybridity and sub-genres

allow audiences to identify them specifically by their familiar and… recognisable characteristics

(the repertoire of the genre or genres or sub-genre)

• The repertoire of characteristics works like a short-hand communication with the audience

Task 1.Spend 10 minutes highlighting how you’ve incorporated your genre’s / sub-genre’s / hybrid genre’s repertoire(s) into your film trailer.

Be specific – aspects of mise-en-scene, stylistic camera work, narrative themes, editing techniques etc.

Grade Boost(s): •Outline anywhere you’ve challenged conventions in a code. •If you’ve created a hybrid genre, outline how you’ve interwoven the two repertoires to provide the viewer with familiar pleasures.

Task 2.

Now write 2 paragraphs: • What is genre? (refer to Chandler, Fiske & Grant)• How does your work fit into a genre, sub-genre

or hybrid genre?

• Share your two paragraphs with the person sitting next to you. • Take one thing from your partner’s paragraphs that you could

incorporate into your work (language, idea, structure etc.).

Really, you’ve just written the intro to a question on genre!