Genre Theory

A product needs a genre so that it can be classified into a smaller group of products and it can then be found easier rather than in a 'sea' of unorganized products.

The Five Functions of Genre:

1. It reinforces cultural ideas and values.
2. Genre creates a set of audience expectations
3. A creation of characteristics is caused by the producers which the audience can recognize easily.
4. It creates a relationship between audience and producers which minimizes the risk of financial failure.
5. It has dynamism and flexibility that means its constantly transforming with new examples being added.

Theorists have different opinions of genre, some overlap and agree with each other however some branch off and contrast against other theories.

Steve Neale

Daniel Chandler believes that: "Conventional definitions of genre are based on the idea that they share a particular convention of content e.g. themes or settings". So he believes that genres are purely based off what they have as content and not what they mean to the audience. 

Steve Neale says that: "Genres are instances of repetition and difference; this is what pleasure for the audience is derived from." The audience takes pleasure in having a set order for the products and in that they repeat and contrast each other within their set genres.

John Hartley follows the theory of that: "The same text can belong to different genres in different countries or times." He believes that a text because of the content can mean different things to different audiences and in that have a different genre to them.

John Fiske

David Buckingham's theory supports Hartley's to a degree by saying that: "Genre is a constant process of negotiation and change." He means by this that a genre isn't a set category that products stay in, by negotiating they can change and contrast previous thoughts and ideas surrounding them. And that the qualities that classify a genre a certain genre can change and alter as producers question and argue against them.

John Fiske says that: "Genre attempts to structure some order in the wide range of texts and meanings that circulate in our culture for the conveniences of both producers and audiences." Fiske is stating that genre is supposed to be set so that both audience and producer can find and locate products quickly and easily.

However there are problems with genre and how it defines products:

• Since genre can change and can be added over time, there is no certainty that a genre that will constantly stay in the same genre; much like Buckingham's theory.
• Whereas some theorist define by content, like Chandler, some define by structure. So there are no certain groups of the same content.
• There can be also hybrids of genre; products that take on certain aspects of one genre but can also be classed as another. In certain circumstances another genre is created all together, like Romantic-Comedies, but products can sometimes be stuck between two genres and it confuses the audience.
• A genre can limit your audience.
• They can also be culturally fluid with different countries viewing them differently.

Learning about genre theory will help me in future with my product because I will be able to assess what genre my product will be in and why it would be in that specific genre.