Genre: 'Something New Based on Something Familiar'

Abstract

This chapter defines and overviews the concept of 'genre' in the context of contemporary screen studies. Using recent examples from film and television, including a case study of popular US television series Grey’s Anatomy, the chapter is divided into two main parts. The first part discusses what genre is, how it operates (in theory and in practice), and the roles of the different stake-holders throughout the life cycle of a genre text; the second part overviews six key approaches to studying genre, namely structuralist, aesthetic, political economy, socio-cultural, family resemblances, and discursive approaches. Ultimately, the chapter discusses 'genre' as an intuitive category negotiated between audiences and the screen media industries and demonstrates this negotiation with a new diagram of genre.