The problem of definition
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A number of perennial doubts plague genre theory. Are genres really
'out there' in the world, or are they merely the constructions of
analysts? Is there a finite taxonomy of genres or are they in
principle infinite? Are genres timeless Platonic essences or
ephemeral, time-bound entities? Are genres culture-bound or
transcultural?... Should genre analysis be descriptive or
proscriptive? (Stam 2000, 14)
