Genre Analysis Research Articles

Genre Analysis of Law Research Article Abstracts and Application in Legal Writing Teaching

Investigating the rhetorical structure of law research article (LRA) abstracts is essential for researchers and instructors in legal writing. Despite their significance in academic discourse, the specific rhetorical strategies used in LRA abstracts remain underexplored. This study examines the rhetorical moves in English LRA abstracts using Hyland’s framework. Fifty LRA abstracts, randomly selected from the Journal of East Asia and International Law and Law in Context, both of which are indexed in Scopus and ISI Web of Science, were analyzed as the corpus. The research employed a qualitative content analysis approach to identify and categorize the rhetorical moves. The study reveals that the purpose and introduction moves are the most prevalent, underscoring the importance of clearly stating objectives and establishing context. The product and conclusion move, which summarize key findings and extend research implications, follow in prevalence. In contrast, the method move appears less frequently, reflecting the genre's focus on legislative analysis rather than detailed methodologies. These findings are valuable for law researchers aiming to publish in international law journals and contribute to a broader understanding of genre analysis in legal writing. The study offers practical implications for scholars and educators, enhancing the effectiveness of legal academic communication.

Slanting the Holocaust in the Fairy Tale Form: Jean-Claude Grumberg’s The Most Precious of Cargoes

This article analyzes Jean-Claude Grumberg’s 2019 Holocaust fairy tale, The Most Precious of Cargoes, translated from French. This fairy tale adds to Grumberg’s oeuvre of Holocaust fiction, including plays and children’s stories. His fairy tale may be his most personal attempt to process his own Holocaust experience, as he includes an appendix with facts about his father and grandfather who died in Auschwitz. Specifically, the fairy tale is approached through an analysis of the fairy tale genre’s pairing with the subject of the Holocaust. The article also examines possible readings of such a pairing through a close reading of the tale that analyzes the role of good vs. evil. Published interviews with Grumberg, theory on the fairy tale, and other Holocaust fairy tales establish a view that The Most Precious of Cargoes is unique in Holocaust fiction.

A comparative of theosophical sufism in Syarah al-Hikam by Sholeh Darat and ‘Abdullah Gangohi

This study elaborated on the explanation of theosophical Sufism in the book of al-Hikam by two well-known Islamic academics, Kyai Sholeh Darat (Indonesia) and Shaykh ‘Abdullah Gangohi (India). The data in this study are the text of Syarah al-Hikam, written by Kyai Sholeh Darat and the text of Syarah Al-Hikam in the perspective of Shaykh ‘Abdullah Gangohi. This qualitative research study used a Systemic Functional Linguistic (SFL) approach from M.A.K. Halliday. Data analysis in this research applied the Spradley model, namely: (1) domain analysis, (2) taxonomy analysis, (3) componential analysis and (4) analysis of cultural themes. The domain analysis tried to map the information structure in the explanation of al-Hikam based on the theory of SFL. This information structure is the basis for the genre analysis as a semiotic representation of social society. Meanwhile, the taxonomic analysis tried to elaborate on the Sufism thoughts of both the thinkers based on the Syarah al-Hikam text. Componential analysis synergised the results of the information structure and the theosophical Sufism thought in al-Hikam. Finally, the analysis of cultural themes endeavoured to elaborate on the theosophical Sufism thoughts of the two Sufism thinkers and to draw the relationships and the contributions to the universal Sufism. The conditions of theosophical Sufism can be elaborated based on the information structure. The limitation of this study is the lack of researcher’s efforts to investigate the substance of theosophical Sufism, because this research is only limited to the outer layer of language.Contribution: This article shows that the thought of theosophical Sufism showed that Islam in Southeast Asia is Islam that carries the spirit of Islam Rahmatan lil-alamin. In addition, the thought of theosophical Sufism in Syarah al-Hikam has had an impact on the socio-cultural transformation, especially on the Sufism movement [thariqah] spread across Indonesia and India.

A Genre Analysis of Algerian and Jordanian Obituary Announcements

The study investigates the generic structure of 240 Algerian and Jordanian obituary announcements published on Facebook with the purpose of identifying, describing and analyzing their structure, generic component, and communicative functions. The study adopts a mixed method approach, including both quantitative and qualitative methods -with more emphasis on the latter- couched within the Bhatia (1993) genre analysis framework. The qualitative analysis helps in understanding the underlying process and details of obituary writings. The quantitative analysis provides the frequencies and identifies the structural order of the rhetorical moves. The study reveals the similarities and differences between Facebook obituaries in both societies. The results show that: (i) Algerian and Jordanian obituaries consist of eleven generic moves (1-11); (ii) While Algerian and Jordanian obituaries share some similarities in Moves (1-6), they differ in Moves (7-9) with some additional differences noted in Moves (10) and (11); (iii) Religion and socio-economic statuses are two key factors in composing the Algerian and Jordanian obituaries. This study provides an original contribution and fills a gap in the literature of Facebook obituaries in both Algerian and Jordanian contexts, addressing an unexplored area. Future cross-cultural research is required to spot any cross-cultural similarities or contrasts among these announcements within different religious and ethnic groups, whether in Algeria (Amazigh), Jordan (Kurds or Armenians) and / or in other Arabic contexts.

Discursive struggles around constitutional reform: language and social change in Tunisia

ABSTRACT Using narrative (genre) analysis, part of the discourse historical approach (DHA) to critical discourse studies (CDS), this paper analyses discursive struggles in the Tunisian context of constitutional reform debates held in 2022. This methodological approach and political focus are then tied to the distinctly Tunisian concept of ‘asabiyya, a notion expressing forms of social solidarity/cohesion as devised by Tunisian philosopher of history Ibn Khaldūn (d.1406). The in-depth narrative genre analysis reveals the prevalence of the ironic-tragic modes of emplotment deployed by reform advocates aiming to subvert the totalizing discourses of the heroic romantic narratives, which are preferred by constitutional conservatives. The paper concludes by discussing the possible reasons for the prevalence of the nation-state as the master narrative in these disputes and the failure of ironic-tragic narratives to mobilize influential forms of ‘asabiyya during the constitutional struggles. The paper empirically contributes to understanding the processes of facilitated or blocked social change in post-Arab Spring societies.

Поэма Абу Бакра Каландара Руми «Каландар-наме» как источник сведений по суфийской ритуальной музыке

This paper is devoted to analyze the text of Abu Bakr Qalandar Rumi’s poem “Qalandar-name” from the point of view of describing the Sufi ritual of listening to sama`. As it is known, Sufi zikr can be two types – “loud”, with singing, dancing movements and playing musical instruments, and “quiet” without any musical part. Research materials: The statement of the author of the poem is of scholarly interest because the author welcomes both two types of zikr, as his Ushshaki group used singing, dancing and musical instruments. All these activities were used for the sole purpose of unity with the divine. The text of the poem is a source on Sufi rituals and their musical peculiarities in different tariqats. The poet also provides theoretical justifications for the permissibility of music in Sufi rituals, based on famous Sufi sheikhs of the earlier centuries. Also the author of the poem displays a deep knowledge of the general Sufi Islamic culture of his time, often referring to poetic images of famous Sufi poets of different countries. The musical instruments presented in the poem give a deep insight into the fact that each group of dervishes may have had their own set of instruments and their own dances. A common genre for all Sufi groups in the world is the genre of munajat, which appears four times in the poem as a separate prayer chapter. Results and novelty of the study: In this paper much attention is paid to the analysis of Sufi musical genres and instruments which were typical of that era. Also a number of the most favorite musical instruments are identified, which were widely used during the Sufi ritual of listening to sama`. The differences between the terms sama` (Sufi listening ritual) and the dance genre of Crimean Tatars “sema” and Tajik “samo” are explained separately. The musical instruments, such as arganun and organ, as well as musikar / musigar, which have different descriptions in historical and modern scientific literature, are also studied separately. The description of the organ in the context of the poem together with the image of the immortal bird Kuknus / Phoenix gives the readers the poem the image about two variants of the wind instrument – the Pan flute type and the keyboard type with mechas. Since we have not found a precise description of the organ and the arganun / musikar in the poem itself, this question remains open for future research. The poem “Kalandar-nameh” will no doubt be useful as a source on Sufi culture of different tariqats of the Middle Ages.

Genre Theories and Second Language Writing: Development, Trends and Tensions

This article reviews literature on genre theory and second language (L2) writing. Specifically, the application of genre theory in L2 writing classrooms and how genre theory together with other themes in the field of second language acquisition contribute to L2 writing development are discussed. Genre has emerged as an important concept in L2 writing studies because it helps teachers and learners to identify socially recognized ways of using language. Through different schools and theories, genre has become a formidable strategy that helps writers learn academic writing conventions. Despite the affordances, a major criticism of genre theory is its tendency to hinder creativity and agency in the classroom and strengthen dominant and privileged discourses. This article concludes with a discussion on genre innovation and studies that underscore the need for flexibility and innovation when developing genre-based pedagogies for classrooms. Despite the challenges, genre remains a crucial theory in L2 writing studies.

Understanding literacy as human practice: exploring stories about (people like) us

ABSTRACT This paper examines literacy as a sociocultural, personal and human practice dependent on and derived through relationships between people, settings and culture. Drawing on a recent empirical research study that combines learner, teacher and author perspectives [Curtin (2023) Reading and Writing Pathways Through Children’s and Young Adult Literature: Exploring Literacy, Identity and Story with Authors and Readers. Routledge], I explore how children’s literature may be used to develop meaningful and authentic literacy pedagogies in the primary classroom. The research methodology for this study employed interviews with sixteen international and award-winning children’s literature authors. This paper presents one author's interview from the study in detail in an effort to illustrate the importance of identity and personal resonance in literacy learning. To this end, funds of knowledge [Moll, Amanti, Neff, and Gonzalez. (1992). “Funds of Knowledge for Teaching: Using a Qualitative Approach to Connect Homes and Classrooms.” Theory Into Practice 31 (2): 132–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405849209543534] and light and dark [Zipin (2009). “Dark Funds of Knowledge, Deep Funds of Pedagogy: Exploring Boundaries Between Lifeworlds and Schools.” Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education 30 (3): 317–331. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596300903037044] pedagogical approaches are applied in a discussion of genre study using (auto) biographical text in the primary classroom. Identity affirming and culturally resonant pedagogies developed seek to engage learners in literacy as a human practice. The paper concludes by considering key insights and ways forward.

Figurative Language and Sensory Perception: Corpus-Based Computer-Assisted Study of the Nature and Motivation of Synesthetic Metaphors in Olive Oil Tasting Notes

ABSTRACT Meaning in sensory language is often built through figurative mechanisms, such as synesthetic metaphors, where a sensorial domain is used to talk about perceptions from a different sense, as in sweet [ taste ] texture [ touch ]. The motivation of synesthetic transfers of meaning has been studied in general and literary language, resulting in attempts to reveal universal patterns regarding the directionality of meaning transfer and sensorial conceptual preference. However, those universals have not been proven in any sensory Language for Specific Purposes (LSP). We a sensory LSP corpus of olive oil tasing notes in English to explore the nature of these metaphors, test existent models and explanatory accounts and identify tendencies present in synesthetic meaning transfers. The computer-assisted semi-automatic scalable methodology followed consists of the innovative quasi-simultaneous identification of semantic incongruences and the classification of synesthetic expressions in the discourse according to the source and target sensorial domains. Results show the inadequacy of existent models to explain synesthetic behavior in olive oil tasting language. The patterns found are discussed in the light of cognitive constraints and LSP genre analysis to conclude that a multi-causal approach is needed to explain the motivation of synesthetic transfers of meaning.

Implementation of Technical Communication Pedagogy in Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Literature Review

One of the most significant needs in technical communication is to teach students how to communicate complex technical information. This paper systematically reviews the literature to map technical communication (TC) pedagogical strategies and theoretically underpinned approaches. The overall purpose is to illuminate patterns and trends in research that describe TC pedagogy, specifically learning objectives, method of delivery, content, assessment strategies, and theoretical frameworks. Following PRISMA guidelines, the study conducted detailed content analysis on 39 publications from 2017 to 2023 based on specific inclusion criteria.. Results show increasing trends in interdisciplinary, inclusive, and technology-driven approaches and recurrent themes of student-centered objectives, technology-based delivery, and diverse assessments, with Rhetorical Theory being the dominant theoretical framework in TC pedagogy research. Based on the findings, it is recommended that future research and practice in TC pedagogy prioritize the integration of comprehensive theoretical frameworks, such as social constructivism, genre theory, and rhetorical theory, to enhance the effectiveness of teaching strategies and better prepare students for the evolving demands of the modern workforce.

O desenvolvimento das capacidades de linguagem no processo de escrita dos estudantes universitários: o Projeto de Pesquisa para Iniciação Científica em foco

This article aims to demonstrate the role that the Academic Literacy Laboratory at the University of São Paulo (LLAC) plays in improving students' textual production in the genre of Research Project for Scientific Initiation. This article is part of a master's research project that aims to go beyond a merely descriptive analysis, seeking to illustrate the interaction between theories of texts and genres and teaching practices. Based on the analysis of LLAC's impact on the textual production of genres in the university context, the article tracks the development of language capacities: action capacity, discursive capacity, and linguistic-discursive capacity (Dolz, Pasquier, Bronckart, 1993) of university students. In this sense, the article provides analyses of the development of written production in Portuguese, as a mother tongue, aiming to identify how students develop their language capacities based on the teachable characteristics of the Research Project genre. Through the analysis of various excerpts, it was observed that the interventions during the sessions played the role of a mediating tool in students' language actions, highlighting the importance of the monitor-tutor's role in the reformulation of texts.

Does academic writing coaching with genre pedagogy work with teachers? A case study of public school teachers in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Recent studies in academic writing have used coaching to develop specific skills and affective variables. There are limited studies on coaching academic writing using genre pedagogy (GP) with adult learners, specifically Indonesian EFL teachers. This study investigated how academic writing coaching activities (AWCA) that implement GP could help develop the writing skills of public school teachers in Ketapang Regency, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. This qualitative case study involved fifty-seven participants who attended the coaching. Data obtained from participant observations and open-ended questionnaires were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis, and the participants’ texts were analyzed using genre analysis. The analysis results were triangulated to obtain valid findings. The results show that scaffolding, explicit teaching, and customized teaching stages could help develop the participants' writing skills. Then, the participants’ texts followed the schematic structure of the academic genre and implemented relevant linguistic features. These findings provide insight into how genre-based academic writing activities could enhance public school teachers' writing skills who are adult learners, an area with scant research. Furthermore, it is proposed that this methodology be applied across different regions and abroad to better assess its effects on the professional growth of teachers.

What counts as ‘evidence’ in literacy education?

A recent issue of the Australian Journal of Language and Literacy included an article reporting on a systematic narrative review of the research literature that indicated that there was insufficient evidence to conclude whether genre theory and systemic functional linguistics either ‘worked’ or ‘did not work’. The criteria used to evaluate these studies excluded any study that did not conform to the ‘gold standard’ associated with experimental research such as randomised controlled trials. In response to this provocative finding, a group of SFL researchers decided to examine just what counts as evidence of quality literacy research these days. In this paper, we question the overreliance on experimental research at the expense of other methods. We illustrate this with a sample of notable studies that do not meet experimental criteria, but which nevertheless have made a significant contribution to school literacy outcomes in Australia and elsewhere.

Poetry in Islamic Historical Writing: The Dialectic of Creativity and the Politics of Truth

Benefiting from various post-positivist historical theories and approaches, this paper aims to seek some new entry points to Islamic historical traditions from the perspective of the presence and function of poetry within it. It is known that looking at history as a “representation” of the past where the real, the imaginative, the artistic, and the narrative intersect, is now considered as one of the pivotal points emphasized by new theories of historical knowledge. However, although this understanding applies to Islamic culture as it applies to others, it cannot be denied that it has been established in Western contexts that may not be suitable for analyzing the circumstances in which Islamic historical writing arose. Accordingly, it is not possible to study the presence of poetry in Islamic historical writings in terms of quantity, quality, and employment, without reconsidering the various theories of literary genres and its oversimplifications that may not apply to ancient Arabic writing systems, and thus to the Arabs’ perception of historical writing. In this perspective, we suggest that studying this presence and its functions may open the way for new hypotheses about Arab and Islamic sources, and the way the Arabs understood poetic writing while formulating their ways of belonging to history.

The concept of spirituality in V. Ptushkin’s compositional, particularly piano creativity: on the 75th anniversary of the Master

The relevance of the article conditioned by the modern immediacy of the problem of maintenance of spiritual values, by the necessity of the research of regional features of composer’s schools and specifics of embodiment of spiritual instructions in V. Ptushkin’s compositional, particularly piano creativity, that hasn’t got an exhaustive coverage in modern national musicology. The purpose of the article is to highlight the specifics of the concept of spirituality as the worldview and axiological center of V. Ptushkin’s compositional, particularly piano creativity. The methodology of the article is based on comparative, historical-typological, interpretative method, methods of generalization, stylistic and genre analysis. The results. The article highlights the concept of spirituality, represented as a concentrated reflection of the humanistic orientation of V. Ptushkin’s compositional, particularly piano creativity and a means of affirming spiritual values in a dialogue with the spiritual experience of mankind, appeals to the signs of cultural eras, genre model of the past — requiem, choral, spiritual cantata, concerto grosso, in the reproduction of eternally relevant images and themes — symbols of spirituality, in particular the image of Virgin Mary as the ideal of humanity’s existence and the positioning of the sublime and the earthly as the poles of worldview and human existence. It is revealed that the specificity of the embodiment of the concept of spirituality in the work for two pianos “The Sublime and the Earthly” is related to: understanding its significance through the prism of comparing personal and universal principles and allusions to the signs of the Renaissance, Classicism, romanticism; resonance with worldview guidelines of the culture of the border of XX–XXI centuries; functional mobility; the variability of performing teams; compositional and structural abnormality. The global significance of the concept of spirituality is imprinted in the work on the following levels: texture — in large-scale vertical chords, chronotope and dynamics — in powerful orchestral sonority, tonal organization — in the affirmation of major constructions, genre — in the movement from lyrical, individualized elegy to anthem as a reflection of the human unity. The scientific novelty of the article is due to the substantiation of the concept of spirituality as a worldview basis of V. Ptushkin’s work and the study of the peculiarities of its embodiment, in particular in the play «The Sublime and the Earthly». The practical significance of the article is determined by the possibility of using the results of the study in performing and pedagogical practice.

Queerowanie romansu, queerowanie romansem. Jak powieści m/m zmienią ramy gatunkowe romansu

The article is an attempt to discuss a new, rapidly evolving literary phenomenon, namely the m/m (male/male) novel. The author poses questions: What traditional genre categories can describe this phenomenon? What narrative tools does this literature apply? How does this novel relate to traditional patriarchal romance? And how does it refer to gay literature and the theory and practice of the LGBTQ+ movement? To answer these questions, the researcher analyzes m/m novels from two perspectives. Firstly, in relation to the “traditional” popular romance, and secondly, in relation to gay literature. In her analysis, the author uses concepts from literary genre studies, memory studies, and queer theory. The article reconstructs the brief history of the genre’s emergence and highlights the change it introduces in popular culture.

“Incommensurable Airspace”: Image of Russia in Travelogue of Maxim Nezvorov

This article analyzes the image of Russia in Maxim Nezvorov’s travelogue “Journey to Kazan, Vyatka, and Orenburg in 1800.” Based on theoretical frameworks, we identify three aspects of analysis: genre, spatiality, and subjectivity. The study employs structuraldescriptive and cultural-historical methods, alongside the foundational principles of N. L. Leiderman’s genre theory, V. L. Kagansky’s concept of cultural landscape, and B. O. Korman’s ideas on the subject of artistic text. Our findings indicate that the choice of a quasi-documentary epistolary form allowed the author to establish a commitment to authenticity, combined with a characteristically sentimental intention of the “sensitive traveler.” It is demonstrated that Nezvorov delineates a system-forming dichotomy of “centerperiphery,” within which the cultural landscape is (re)constructed. We conclude that the author evaluates a key component of this landscape — urban planning and architecture — while the landscape itself serves a supportive role. Nezvorov pays particular attention to the extraordinarily diverse ethnic composition of the empire’s population. Although he rarely grants his “interlocutors” a voice, their comments and judgments enable a partial reconstruction of the worldview of a person in the early 19th century, one of the key elements of which is the image of Russia.

Standardizing Genres in Biomedicine

Reporting guidelines have emerged in recent years as a critical site of deliberation and intervention for stakeholders in the biomedical community. These texts have historically been used to formulate standards for quality reporting and bring consistency to processes of writing and publication; they also operate as a space in which practitioners promote values, define expectations, and coordinate action in line with established standards and practices in the field. Drawing on scholarship in rhetoric and genre studies, this article examines how reporting guidelines contribute to the standardization of writing and publishing activity in biomedicine, functioning both as semi-procedural documents that take part in the “genre-ing” of published research and as public displays of and arguments for accountability that can be used to regulate the work of knowledge making over time. I conclude by discussing how rhetoricians might use reporting guidelines as a strategic locus for conceptualizing and potentially shaping research and writing activity in different areas of health and medicine.

Ableism in the Air: Disability Panic in Stephen King’s The Stand

Abstract This article uses Stephen King’s 1990, uncut release of his famous 1978 horror novel The Stand to reveal the ways the contemporary horror genre implements the language of pandemics and contagious disease to promote ableist ideas about disability. The horror novel villainizes an antagonist as a central function of its plot. When the antagonist is an airborne disease that inflicts disability and death upon its victims, the novel can be a site of production for what I term “disability panic,” a fear and disgust at the possibility of becoming disabled, and a contempt for those who already are. This article argues that The Stand calls attention to how stereotypes and misconceptions around illness-induced disability form in times of crisis. This article merges genre studies in horror, disability language, and rhetoric of disease in literature to uncover how King reveals that the language of the horror novel can contribute to a cultural fear and hatred of disability. This novel, though written decades ago, mimics the language of corona virus disease 2019 in current popular media. This article demonstrates how fear of airborne disease in a horror novel can increase fear of real-life pandemics and contribute to ableist views of those suffering from illness-related disability.

The presence and roles of English in Swedish print advertising: An exploratory study

Despite the ubiquity of English in the Nordic societies, little attention seems to have been paid to the presence of English in advertising texts. Thus, the present study aims to survey the reality of the use of English in Swedish print advertising. A sample of advertisements published in Swedish magazines from different market segments is examined. Drawing on genre analysis and advertising research, this paper looks at the actual presence of English in this genre, at the moves that include English words and phrases, and at the values evoked by those expressions. The results suggest that English may not be so pervasive after all. Some of the roles and functions performed by English are discussed. Finally, questions to be addressed by future studies are presented.