makrostrukturen

Makrostrukturen, or macrostructures, refer to the high-level organization of a text or discourse. They describe how the overall argument, narrative, or information is arranged, including the main ideas, their sequence, and the relations among them. Macrostructures provide the skeleton of a text, while microstructures handle sentence-level choices such as wording and syntax.

Typical components of macrostructures include the global plan (such as introduction, development, and conclusion), the order of topics (chronological, causal, problem-solution, or thematic progression), and the signaling of discourse relations (progression, contrast, elaboration). In discourse analysis and text linguistics, macrostructures are often analyzed alongside microstructures to understand how meaning is created at different levels.

Analysis methods range from outlining and section mapping to applying theoretical frameworks such as Rhetorical Structure Theory, which identifies relations between larger units of text. The study of macrostructures also intersects with genre theory, as different genres tend to embody characteristic macro-architectures.

Functions and applications of macrostructure analysis include aiding reader comprehension and memory by clarifying the main points, supporting critical evaluation of arguments, and informing instructional approaches to writing. In computational linguistics and natural language generation, modeling macrostructure helps produce coherent and well-organized texts.

Limitations include variability across languages and genres, and the fact that some macrostructures are implicit or culturally specific. Related topics include macrostructure in contrast to microstructure, discourse analysis, and genre theory.