Theorizing "Context" for Text Analysis

概要

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Although context is often invoked in the analysis of texts, the notion of context itself is rarely analyzed. What is context? Can it be thought of in systemic terms in the way grammar, phonology and even semantics have been? This paper will consider these questions, paying particular attention to the model of context that has been developed within the field of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). Three perspectives on context-as it relates to discourse-are discussed: "Field" (the nature of the social action), "Tenor" (the relationship of the interactants) and "Mode" (the organization of the text). From there, we consider the instantiation of context in "contexts of situation," which are construed as constitutive elements of a broader "context of culture." This allows us to not only define "register," but also see why register analysis is a valuable tool in understanding a culture and becoming apprenticed into it. Finally, an alternative view of context is considered by way of comparison: that of critical linguist Teun van Dijk. Although his framework has much in common with the SFL approach, it also raises some serious questions about Hallidayan linguistics. These issues are critically addressed and, finally, rejected.
名古屋商科大学の論文