TY - JOUR
T1 - The making of theatrical groupings
T2 - A cognitive perspective
AU - Zarhy-Levo, Yael
AU - Shen, Yeshayahu
N1 - Funding Information:
* This research was supported by The Israel Science Foundation administered by The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, no. 969 — 07.
PY - 2012/6
Y1 - 2012/6
N2 - The prototype theory of genres (e.g., Sinding 2002) posits that a genre can be regarded as a cognitive category, conforming to principles of human categorization. In the present article we extend this cognitive view of genres by addressing a relatively under-researched issue: the initial process of genre formation, or in other words, the birth of a genre. In particular, we examine two "formative texts" - the studies by Martin Esslin and Aleks Sierz. In both studies the authors constructed a theatrical genre, introducing the "Theatre of the Absurd" and "In-Yer-Face Theatre," respectively. Our major question is: to what extent did cognitive principles of categorization play a role in the formation of the genres in question, as manifested in these formative texts? We focus on the cognitive principles underlying the major critical strategies employed in each of these two studies in the establishment of the category; and contend that these critical strategies adhere to the three fundamental categorization principles - the basic level, the prototype structure, and "category as a theory."
AB - The prototype theory of genres (e.g., Sinding 2002) posits that a genre can be regarded as a cognitive category, conforming to principles of human categorization. In the present article we extend this cognitive view of genres by addressing a relatively under-researched issue: the initial process of genre formation, or in other words, the birth of a genre. In particular, we examine two "formative texts" - the studies by Martin Esslin and Aleks Sierz. In both studies the authors constructed a theatrical genre, introducing the "Theatre of the Absurd" and "In-Yer-Face Theatre," respectively. Our major question is: to what extent did cognitive principles of categorization play a role in the formation of the genres in question, as manifested in these formative texts? We focus on the cognitive principles underlying the major critical strategies employed in each of these two studies in the establishment of the category; and contend that these critical strategies adhere to the three fundamental categorization principles - the basic level, the prototype structure, and "category as a theory."
KW - Cognitive categorization
KW - Genre formation
KW - Genre theory
KW - In-Yer-Face Theatre
KW - Prototype theory
KW - Theatre of the Absurd
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84870396620&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1515/sem-2012-0049
DO - 10.1515/sem-2012-0049
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AN - SCOPUS:84870396620
SN - 0037-1998
VL - 2012
SP - 265
EP - 284
JO - Semiotica
JF - Semiotica
IS - 190
ER -