THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF GENRE ANALYSIS

Abstract

Genre is one of the fundamental categories of literary studies and the humanities, functioning both as a means of classifying texts and as a tool for their interpretation. In the contemporary scholarly paradigm, genre is understood not as a static form but as a dynamic system reflecting cultural, historical, and communicative processes. The relevance of this study is due to the lack of a universal definition of the genre, as well as the diversity of theoretical approaches to its interpretation in international scientific literature. The article examines the key areas of genre theory: the structuralist approach (T. Todorov, G. Genette), the deconstructivist approach (J. Derrida), the archetypal approach (N. Fry), and the sociorhetorical approach (K. Bazerman, A. Devitt). Particular attention is paid to understanding genre as an open and developing system associated with discursive practice and cultural context. The principles of genre analysis are considered, including the identification of structural, thematic, and functional characteristics of a text, as well as the analysis of interaction between the author and the reader. It is emphasized that genre establishes interpretative frameworks and shapes the expectations of the audience. The category of genre has traditionally occupied a central place in literary studies, serving as one of the primary tools for the classification and analysis of literary texts. As early as classical poetics, genres were regarded as stable forms possessing specific defining features. However, in the 20th and 21st centuries, conceptions of genre have undergone significant changes. The study concludes that a comprehensive approach to genre analysis is necessary, one that takes into account both the internal properties of the text and the external socio-cultural conditions of its functioning. The results obtained may be applied in literary studies, text linguistics, and communication theory.