Discourse analysis, pragmatics and the dramatic ‘character: Tom Stoppard's Professional Foul

1993 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Bennison
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Character Development ◽  
Linguistic Analysis ◽  
Character Traits ◽  
Critical Material ◽  
Cooperative Principle ◽  
Dramatic Character ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Turn Taking ◽  
Topic Shift

Is there any way in which characters in dramatic texts may be considered a worthwhile object of criticism? The dearth of recent critical material in this area would suggest not, but the aim of this article is to demonstrate that the study of dramatic character may be effectively achieved by the application of theoretical principles derived from the linguistic analysis of conversation. The difficulties of accounting precisely for how readers of the play text get from the words on the page to judgements concerning the ‘personalities' of characters are overcome, to some extent, by the analysis of their conversational behaviour and using the powerful interpretative apparatus of discourse analysis and pragmatics to this end. As a focus for discussion, the character of Anderson, in Stoppard's play, Professional Foul, has been chosen, and a wide range of approaches taken from discourse analysis and pragmatics is used to identify in particular scenes the ways in which four prominent character traits are deducible from his conversational behaviour. The analysis begins with an examination of turn-length, turn-taking and topic-shift before applying pragmatic theories such as Grice's Cooperative Principle, Brown and Levinson's Politeness Phenomenon and Leech's Politeness Principle. In addition, this article addresses the problematic notion of character ‘development’ and argues that this may be accounted for in terms of a change in the conversational strategies used by a character, from which changes in attitude are inferable.

scholarly journals Perspectives on contextual vulnerability in discourses of climate conflict

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. T. Okpara ◽  
L. C. Stringer ◽  
A. J. Dougill
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Diagnostic Tool ◽  
Human Security ◽  
Constructivist Theory ◽  
Discursive Formation ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract. The science of climate security and conflict is replete with controversies. Yet the increasing vulnerability of politically fragile countries to the security consequences of climate change is widely acknowledged. Although climate conflict reflects a continuum of conditional forces that coalesce around the notion of vulnerability, how different portrayals of vulnerability influence the discursive formation of climate conflict relations remains an exceptional but under-researched issue. This paper combines a systematic discourse analysis with a vulnerability interpretation diagnostic tool to explore (i) how discourses of climate conflict are constructed and represented, (ii) how vulnerability is communicated across discourse lines, and (iii) the strength of contextual vulnerability against a deterministic narrative of scarcity-induced conflict, such as that pertaining to land. Systematically characterising climate conflict discourses based on the central issues constructed, assumptions about mechanistic relationships, implicit normative judgements and vulnerability portrayals, provides a useful way of understanding where discourses differ. While discourses show a wide range of opinions "for" and "against" climate conflict relations, engagement with vulnerability has been less pronounced – except for the dominant context centrism discourse concerned about human security (particularly in Africa). In exploring this discourse, we observe an increasing sense of contextual vulnerability that is oriented towards a concern for complexity rather than predictability. The article concludes by illustrating that a turn towards contextual vulnerability thinking will help advance a constructivist theory-informed climate conflict scholarship that recognises historicity, specificity, and variability as crucial elements of contextual totalities of any area affected by climate conflict.

scholarly journals Beauty And The Beast From A Cognitive Linguistic Perspective: Animal Metaphors For Women In Serbian And Romanian

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANNAMARIA KILYENI ◽  
NADEŽDA SILAŠKI
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Physical Appearance ◽  
Linguistic Analysis ◽  
Character Traits ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Beauty And The Beast ◽  
Cognitive Linguistic ◽  
Metaphor Theory

Abstract Under the theoretical wing of Conceptual Metaphor Theory, we present a contrastive cognitive and linguistic analysis of the women are animals metaphor as used in Romanian and Serbian. Our main aim is to establish whether the names of the same animals are used in the two languages to conceptualise women and their various characteristics (particularly physical appearance and character traits), or alternatively, whether the two languages exhibit any linguistic or conceptual differences in this regard.

scholarly journals Discourse Analysis of Written Text on Pakistani Public Transport Vehicles

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 496
Author(s):  
Rafia Bilal ◽  
Wasima Shehzad
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Public Transport ◽  
English Language ◽  
Upward Mobility ◽  
Linguistic Analysis ◽  
Written Text ◽  
Lexical Cohesion ◽  
Economic Problems ◽  
The Social ◽  
Opposite Sex

This research focuses on the discourse analysis of the text written on Pakistani public transport vehicles. The data were collected from the roads, parking lots and market places in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The text was written in three languages, English, Urdu and Punjabi. The sample size was fifty but in order to delimit the study, the data size was reduced to ten. The data classification was done keeping into consideration the grounded theory, as the thematic categories of data emerged after data collection. They included love for religion, parents, opposite sex and country. Moreover, it highlighted the theme of morality, socio-economic problems, desire for upward mobility and wisdom-based quotations. The data were then analyzed keeping in mind Janks’ rubrics for linguistic analysis. The linguistic analysis showed that the text employs lexicalization, overlexicalization, lexical cohesion and there is extensive use of metaphors, euphemism and personification. It was noted that the text was multilingual as it was in Urdu, Punjabi or English language with a lot of code switching. The data were then further analyzed to highlight the social and moral attributes of language users, the socio-economic problems they face and their struggle for upward mobility. The social analysis provided a deep insight into the life of public transport drivers in Pakistani society.

Locating stylistics in the discipline of English studies: a case study analysis of A.E. Housman’s ‘From Far, from Eve and Morning’

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-149
Author(s):  
Andrew Goatly
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Literary Criticism ◽  
Linguistic Analysis ◽  
Musical Structure ◽  
English Studies ◽  
Clause Structure ◽  
Music Criticism ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
And Linguistics

Abstract Literary stylistics, whose subject matter is literary language, straddles the disciplines of literary criticism and linguistics, as Henry Widdowson pointed out 45 years ago. Since then, developments in discourse analysis and multimodal studies have had the potential to expand the map of the interactions between different disciplines. This case study performs a traditional stylistic analysis of the poem ‘From Far, from Eve and Morning’ from A E Housman’s A Shropshire Lad but also demonstrates the potential for a multimodal perspective on stylistics by relating it to a musical analysis of Vaughan-Williams’ setting of the poem. It begins with a linguistic analysis of phonology, graphology and punctuation, lexis, phrase structure, clause structure and clausal semantics. It proceeds to a discourse analysis of pragmatics and discourse structure. And it ends by relating the linguistic and discoursal analysis to the music through music criticism. By way of conclusion, it suggests that both linguistic analysis and appreciation of musical structure and mood are useful ways into Spitzer’s philological circle, by which linguistic analysis and musical appreciation can pave the way for literary appreciation.

The Lebanese Way

2017 ◽  
pp. 1204-1223
Author(s):  
John Stephen Hess
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Character Traits ◽  
Social Phenomenon ◽  
The Social ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Unstable Environment ◽  
Static Concept

Within this diverse and often unstable environment, the social phenomenon of entrepreneurship has emerged. Although this concept is found in many segments of society and individuals, it is often linked to the small business venture, and this environment is where our research will take place. Defining the term presents some challenges because it is more of an activity encompassing a wide range of character traits and skills than just a static concept. Additionally, the Lebanese context may share in the collective nature of a definition, but will also offer unique displays of entrepreneurship that may differ from other societies.

scholarly journals Organic or organised: an interaction analysis to identify how interactional practices influence participation in group decision meetings for residency selection

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. e026424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lokke Gennissen ◽  
Anne de la Croix ◽  
Karen Stegers-Jager ◽  
Jacqueline de Graaf ◽  
Cornelia R M G Fluit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Group Decision ◽  
Interaction Analysis ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Turn Taking ◽  
Residency Selection ◽  
Selection Decision ◽  
Resident Selection ◽  
Interactional Patterns

ObjectivesThis study aims to shed light on interactional practices in real-life selection decision-making meetings. Adequate residency selection is crucial, yet currently, we have little understanding of how the decision-making process takes place in practice. Since having a wide range of perspectives on candidates is assumed to enhance decision-making, our analytical focus will lie on the possibilities for committee members to participate by contributing their perspective.DesignWe analysed interaction in seven recorded real-life selection group decision meetings, with explicit attention to participation.SettingSelection meetings of four different highly competitive specialties in two Dutch regions.Participants54 participants discussed 68 candidates.MethodsTo unravel interactional practices, group discussions were analysed using a hybrid data-driven, iterative analytical approach. We paid explicit attention to phenomena which have effects on participation. Word counts and an inductive qualitative analysis were used to identify existing variations in the current practices.ResultsWe found a wide variety of practices. We highlight two distinct interactional patterns, which are illustrative of a spectrum of turn-taking practices, interactional norms and conventions in the meetings. Typical for the first pattern—‘organised’—is a chairperson who is in control of the topic and turn-taking process, silences between turns and a slow topic development. The second pattern—‘organic’—can be recognised by overlapping speech, clearly voiced disagreements and negotiation about the organisation of the discussion. Both interactional patterns influence the availability of information, as they create different types of thresholds for participation.ConclusionsBy deconstructing group decision-making meetings concerning resident selection, we show how structure, interactional norms and conventions affect participation. We identified a spectrum ranging from organic to organised. Both ends have different effects on possibilities for committee members to participate. Awareness of this spectrum might help groups to optimise decision processes by enriching the range of perspectives shared.

scholarly journals Initiative Monitoring Strategy and Tactics in Medical Professional Discussions

2018 ◽  
Vol 50 ◽  
pp. 01209
Author(s):  
Nikolay Shamne ◽  
Maria Nevzorova
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Medical Professional ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Monitoring Strategy ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Turn Taking

The paper focuses on the initiative monitoring strategy in medical professional discussions. The initiative monitoring strategy is realized by means of passing a communicative initiative tactic, imposing a communicative initiative tactic, taking a communicative initiative tactic, keeping a communicative initiative tactic, and closing an interaction tactic. The research is based on English texts of medical professional discussions, freely available on the Internet. The discourse analysis of medical professional discussion texts is used as the research method to uncover the mechanisms behind meeting talk. The aim of the article is to expose the devices for realization of the above-mentioned tactics. The leading role in discussion of development belongs to a moderator being responsible for passing an initiative and closing an interaction. Invited experts can also participate in a turn-taking process by taking and keeping an initiative.

Doctor–patient consultations in dyadic and triadic exchanges

Interpreting ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Valero-Garcés
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
General Structure ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Institutional Discourse ◽  
Patient Interaction ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Turn Taking ◽  
Quantitative Analyses

This article presents the results of a study on doctor–patient interaction in dyadic and triadic exchanges. The analysis is based on transcripts of recordings done at healthcare centres in northern Madrid, Spain, and Minneapolis, USA. The methodological approach is that of institutional discourse analysis as developed by Drew and Heritage (Drew & Heritage 1992; Heritage 1995, 1997; Drew & Sorjonen 1997). Three different types of doctor–patient interaction are examined: (1) doctor/foreign-language patient; (2) doctor/ foreign-language patient/ad hoc interpreter; (3) doctor/ foreign-language patient/trained interpreter. Topics such as the assignment of participant roles, changes in the general structure, turn-taking, and asymmetrical relationships will be explored. The study is mainly descriptive and qualitative, but also includes some comparative quantitative analyses.

From Language Behaviour to Database: Some Comments on Plunkett's Paper

1990 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-205
Author(s):  
Roeland van Hout
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Child Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
First Language Acquisition ◽  
Exchange System ◽  
Computational Tools ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Catalytic Role

It is evident that the Child Language Exchange System—CHILDES—will play a catalytic role in the study of first language acquisition. Plunkett rightly concludes that this system has the potential of bringing together work on first language acquisition from a wide range of theoretical and practical perspectives. The compilation of the CHILDES package, including a workbench with a set of computational tools, is an admirable achievement, which most certainly will have an impact on other branches in the study of language behaviour (e.g. discourse analysis, sociolinguistics).

On the syntax of sentences-in-progress

1991 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 441-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gene H Lerner
Keyword(s):  
Joint Production ◽  
Proper Place ◽  
Single Sentence ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Turn Taking ◽  
Multiple Component

ABSTRACTThis article describes how it could be possible for two participants engaged in conversation to jointly produce a single syntactic unit such as a sentence. From an inspection of sentence types that are achieved through such joint production, it was determined that participants have available a single utterance construction format. This format, the compound turn-constructional unit format, may be a component of a socially construed syntax-for-conversation. It can be constituted by a wide range of interactionally relevant features of talk in interaction that reveal an emerging utterance as a multiple component turn-constructional unit. The compound turn-constructional unit format is primarily a resource for turn-taking. It can be used to project the next proper place for speaker change. However, it concomitantly provides the resources needed to complete the utterance-in-progress of another participant, thus allowing for the construction of a single sentence across the talk of two speakers. (Conversation, interaction, recognizable activity)

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