Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 1 Critical Issues in Information Systems BUSS 951 Supplementary 4 Field in Texts: What’s going on?

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 2 Social Context and Language

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 3 Social Context and Language In 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

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 4 Social Context and Language In 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!’

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 5 Social Context and Language Realisation 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)

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 6 Social Context Language

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 7 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

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 8 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

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 9 Situational Context- Register

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 10 Situational Context Register 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...

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 11 Situational Context Register the Context of Situation or Register includes field, tenor and mode: field- social activities and actions tenor- who is doing what to whom mode- how language is used there is another context which we will consider latter in the course, but for now...

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 12 Context of Situation Language

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 13 Field Defined Definition: “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 double reception, priest, bands, ‘I do’ italicised words -> indexical lexical item

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 14 Example: Business Text Try to determine the field!

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 15 Business Transcript (Australian Example) Who’s next? I think I am Can I have a loaf of bread please? Yes, anthing else Yes I’d like a cinnamon donut Will that be all? Yeah, thanks. That’ll be $ [hands over $2.00 coin] 10 and 5 is 15, thanks Have a nice day Thanks

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 16 Business Transcript (Australian Example) Who’s next? I think I am Can I have a loaf of bread please? Yes, anything else Yes I’d like a cinnamon donut Will that be all? Yeah, thanks. That’ll be $ [hands over $2.00 coin] 10 and 5 is 15, thanks Have a nice day Thanks Indexical Lexical Items are underlined

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 17 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

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 18 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

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 19 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, ; Halliday 1991, 43)

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 20 Logical OR; Realisation

Clarke, R. J (2001) X951-04: 21 Logical AND; Recursion