ABSTRACT
The author presents a succinct overview of the development and perspectives of the theory of communicative genres using two cognate disciplinary approaches, sociolinguistics and the (new) sociology of knowledge, highlighting its systematic connections to the recently developed theory of the communicative construction of reality. While genre analysis is widely used in empirical research in pragmatic linguistics and conversation analysis, with particular attention being paid to the internal and interactional levels of analysis, Schnettler proposes a strengthening of genre analysis concerning its potential to explore the external structures of genre, emphasizing its potential for use with sociological theory, especially the sociological theory of society. Such a theory of communicative genres can provide a framework for integrating sociological and linguistic analyses, both empirically and theoretically. Furthermore, it allows for a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the role of communicative action and interaction in establishing and maintaining social order.
