I have been noticing some intriguing genre patterns in my research data
that don't seem to be easily analysed using Hasan's rather strict
definition of genre structure and membership (as in Hasan, 1990). So, I
have been scrounging around trying to get up to speed on recent working
exploring the notion that genre type instances may be recognized more by
their functional use in specific contexts (as David Russell suggested
recently, 1997), rather than by any strict set of structural patterns. I
suspect that this "looser", less structural, definition of genre might
better explain some of the patterns I am seeing in my own data.
Anyone on XMCA have a line on any recent writings on this topic?
M. A.K. Halliday & R. Hasan. (1990). Language, context, and text.
(Currently out of print) http://www.amazon.com
Russell, D. R. (1997). Rethinking genre in school and society: An
activity theory analysis. (on David's web site:
http://www.iastate.edu/~drrussel/at%26genre/at%26gentre.html)
--glenn
Glenn D. Humphreys
P.O. Box 11
Echo Bay, Ontario
Canada, P0S 1C0
Telephone: (705) 248-1226
Internet: glenhump who-is-at soonet.ca
Fax (Phone/Email to arrange fax transmission): (705) 248-1226