HOROSCOPE IN MODERN WOMEN’S MAGAZINES: GENERIC APPROACH

Abstract

This paper focuses on the genre analysis of the horoscope, the genre endemic in modern women’s magazines. The study identifi es the generic structure of the horoscope and the key linguistic features of its texts. More specifi cally, it examines the basic convention concerning
the purpose, form and linguistic devices of the elements of genre’s schematic structure. Finally, the paper analysis how these conventions provide an assumption of the ideas inscribed in the texts of this genre. The results of the analysis demonstrate a certain recurrent scheme of this genre that functions as a stereotypical model for both, constructing and interpreting its texts. The schematic structure of this genre consists of fi ve moves: general information, love and relationship, fi nancial status, career and health. The scheme performs a role of a powerful
mechanism in transmitting the information from the journal to the reader. The analyzed corpus incorporates texts from such popular women’s magazines as Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle and SHE over the years 2016 – 2017. The study is theoretically framed by Swales genre analysis and functional approach to language.