1. A2 Media Studies Genre
Genre Theory – A2 MEDIA STUDIES Section A Question 1B
“Genre” is a critical tool that helps us study texts and audience responses to texts by
dividing them into categories based on common elements.
The word genre means type or category. To study a film as a genre involves treating it, not
as a unique entity but as a member of a general category as a certain type of film.
Genre helps both audiences and institutions to make decisions about what they want to see
and what they want to make to supply the demand.
Genre Theorists
Buckingham (1993) – Traditionally genres are usually fixed forms. But contemporary theory
emphasises that both their forms and functions are dynamic.
Buckingham argues that Genre is not simply given by the culture rather it is in a constant
process of negotiation and change.
Changes in genre reflects change in society and our values.
Goodwin (1992) – Said that music videos are simply an extension of the lyrics
Which genre category would Goodwin say your videos is?
Performance, narrative or concept?
Of his 5 ways to analyse a music video 4 relation of visual to song- does your video illustrate,
amplify or cause disjuncture?
Of his 6 features of a music video, 1.Music videos demonstrate genre charactisitcs (e.g. stage
performance in metal videos, dance routines for boy/girl or inspirations in a hip hop video)
Ryall(1978) – Genres are recognisable through the repeated use of generic codes and
conventions as how we as the audience know a horror film is a horror film.
He suggests that the types of conventions found in genres might be grouped within the
following categories:
ICONOGRAPHIES (Symbolic devices associated within the day)
NARRATIVE (Structure, open/closed)
REPRESENATIONS (Characters/ stereotypes)
IDEOLOGIES (Beliefs and ideas of the ideal concept themes)
2. A2 Media Studies Genre
Altman(1999) – Argues that there is no such thing as a pure genre anymore. Genre is
progressive in that it will always change
He says that generic conventions are very much thing of the past. His theory suggests that
audiences in general have become tired of the same formula and need more to keep them
entertained and to create appeal.
He says that genre is surviving due to hybridisation or genres borrowing conventions from
one another and thus being much more difficult to categorise.
E.G Taylor swift being country pop on ITunes but due to her country roots is branching into
pop music
The strengthsof genre Theory
The main strength of genre theory is that everybody use it and understands it-
Media experts use it to study media texts
The media industry uses it to develop and market texts
Audiences use it to decide what texts to consume
The potential for the same concept to understand by producers, audiences and scholars
makes genre a useful critical tool. Its accessibility as a concept also means that it can be
applied across a wide range of texts.
Problemswith Genre theory
Genre provides boundaries and causes divisions. You can become categorised into an area
that you may not want to be. Meaning you could only be put into a certain areas which may
not always suit you.
Intuitions are less enthused to take risks and so cycle will continue as each side of the
process will continue to have expectations which both sides will continue to have
expectations which both sides will continue to provide for the other in order to sell the
products.
