Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 1

Critical Issues in Information Systems

BUSS 951

Supplementary 4Field in Texts: What’s going on?

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Social Context and Language

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Social Context and LanguageIn General...

every text refers to its social context- it must do in order to make any sense

must do so in order to be meaningful that is to communicate something to someone

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Social Context and LanguageIn Organisations...

the term social context is often defined in the broadest possible way

but when studying workplace language there is also another meaning for context- organisational culture

‘the way things are done around here!’

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Social Context and LanguageRealisation

in order to show the relationship between language and social context we use concentric ovals (see next slide)

one semiotic system (language) is a realisation of another more abstract one (social context)

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Social Context

Language

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Social Context and Language Redounding (1)

how language realises context is called redounding

redounding is indicated (in the previous slide) by the use of a double ended arrow

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Social Context and Language Redounding (1)

language construes social context, language is construed by social context, and language reconstrues social context ...

a relationship of mutual determination and interdependency NOT simple cause and effect

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Situational Context- Register

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Situational ContextRegister

whether speech or writing, texts always include some aspects of the situation

this helps to make the text understandable

systemic-functional linguistics (SFL) recognises three aspects of the context of situation...

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Situational Context Register

the Context of Situation or Register includes field, tenor and mode:field- social activities and actionstenor- who is doing what to whommode- how language is used

there is another context which we will consider latter in the course, but for now...

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Context ofSituation

Language

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Field DefinedDefinition: “the topic or focus of the

activity” (Eggins 1994, 9) we find out whats going on mainly from

lexical items- or words (Eggins 1994, 25)can you determine the field?

win, quinella, trifecta, daily doublereception, priest, bands, ‘I do’italicised words -> indexical lexical item

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Example: Business TextTry to determine the field!

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Business Transcript (Australian Example)

Who’s next?I think I amCan I have a loaf of bread please?Yes, anthing elseYesI’d like a cinnamon donutWill that be all?Yeah, thanks.That’ll be $1.850 [hands over $2.00 coin]10 and 5 is 15, thanksHave a nice dayThanks

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Business Transcript (Australian Example)

Who’s next?I think I amCan I have a loaf of bread please?Yes, anything elseYesI’d like a cinnamon donutWill that be all?Yeah, thanks.That’ll be $1.850 [hands over $2.00 coin]10 and 5 is 15, thanksHave a nice dayThanks

Indexical Lexical Itemsare underlined

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Field- Taxonomies (1)

If many texts are observed within a given Context of Situation, it is possible to build field taxonomies

in order to build a taxonomy we use a special graphical notation commonly used in SFL called a system network

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Field- Taxonomies (2)

system networks are used to build field taxonomies

the lexis (words) associated with the field are ordered into convenient or observed groups

possible selection options can therefore be shown

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Field- Taxonomies (3)

System networks are read from left hand side, the so-called least delicate, to the right hand side, the so-called most delicate.

The following diagrams show the four major notations used and are based on Broman (1994, 80 modified after Eggins 1994, 205-206; Halliday 1991, 43)

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Logical OR; Realisation

Figure G1: Graphical notation (right) and an explanation of their meanings (left) usedin system networks. The networks should be read from left (least delicate) to right(most delicate). Diagram after Broman 1994, 80 (modified after Eggins 1994, 205-206; Halliday 1991, 43)a

bx If the entry condition of x applies, then either a or b must be chosen

ba

cd

a

bx If the entry condition of x applies, then either a or b must be chosen. b is realised by p.

x

p

If the entry condition of x applies, then either a or b and either c or d.

'go''stop'

Recursive system: If the choice is 'go' then we are in an iterative process whether either 'go' or 'stop' can be chosen again. This iterative process goes on until the choice 'stop' is made

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Logical AND; Recursion

Figure G1: Graphical notation (right) and an explanation of their meanings (left) usedin system networks. The networks should be read from left (least delicate) to right(most delicate). Diagram after Broman 1994, 80 (modified after Eggins 1994, 205-206; Halliday 1991, 43)a

bx If the entry condition of x applies, then either a or b must be chosen

ba

cd

a

bx If the entry condition of x applies, then either a or b must be chosen. b is realised by p.

x

p

If the entry condition of x applies, then either a or b and either c or d.

'go''stop'

Recursive system: If the choice is 'go' then we are in an iterative process whether either 'go' or 'stop' can be chosen again. This iterative process goes on until the choice 'stop' is made