Martin (1992: 570):
For ideological reasons, mapping out the system of genres that constitute our context of culture is a pressing task — and there is no reason in principle to expect it to be a more complex one than mapping lexicogrammar.
Blogger Comments:
[1] From the perspective of SFL theory, the term 'system of genres' confuses potential (system) with sub-potentials (genres). The confusion is along the cline of instantiation.
[2] In SFL theory, genres do not constitute the context of culture. Genres, as language, realise context; genres as text types, realise situation types. That is genres are sub-potentials of language that realise sub-potentials of the culture as a semiotic system. The relation between genre (language sub-potentials) and context of culture (context potential) is therefore along two theoretical dimensions simultaneously:
- stratification (context vs language), and
- instantiation (potential vs sub-potential).
potential
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sub-potential / instance type
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instance
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context
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context of culture
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language
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genre
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