Constructing (Ir-)Rationality:
An Analytical Framework
Nikki Slocum-Bradley
Prepared for:
Beyond Rationality Workshop
Center for the Philosophy of Natural and Social Sciences
LSE – 21 November 2009
United Nations University - Comparative Regional Integration Studies
UNU-CRIS
Meaning Construction
• Rationality & morality are closely linked.
• Both are inherent to meaning construction
• Examples from the Holocaust
• (Re-)Framing / defining / evoking a social
paradigm
• How is meaning constructed? Are there
universal features and/or components?
Positioning Diamond:
The building blocks of meaning
Identities
Social
Forces
Rights &
Duties
Storylines
Social Forces
Social Forces of (discursive) acts: the
significance of what an actor says or
does.
We use social forces to evoke the other
elements of the Positioning Diamond.
Storylines
Storylines are the narrative conventions that
structure both how we give accounts of
events as well as how we experience them
(and not others) as adhering together in an
episode.
Entails what is going on (descriptive) and
what is conceived as the goal of actions.
Identities
Identities are meanings applied to persons or
other narrated actors in specific contexts.
They comprise 2 related aspects:
A) the definition of the actor(s)
B) the characteristics ascribed to the actor(s)
Rights & Duties
Implicitly inherent to the evocation of
specific identities, within the context of
a given storyline, is the assignment of
sets of rights and duties to the actors.
These encompass formal rights and
obligations and normative conventions.
Positioning Analysis:
Holocaust Example I
Storyline: ‘Dirty work’
I.D.s:
Soldiers are fellow workers
Rs&Ds: Workers have duty to do their fair
share of the ‘dirty work’.
 Killing Jews is helping with the dirty
work, and thus fulfilling one’s duty.
Positioning Analysis:
Holocaust Example II
Storyline: Mercy killings
I.D.s: Chilren are destitute, helpless.
Soldiers are saviors.
Rs&Ds: Soldiers’ duty to help children.
 Killing children is putting them out of
their misery, so the soldier fulfills his
duty.
Criteria for a Rational Act
For an action to be considered ‘rational’ it
must be defined as an act that
• conforms with the evoked narrative
conventions (coheres with SL), and
• conforms with the moral code evoked
(consistent with the duties and rights
assigned to the actor performing the act)
Repair Work
She didn’t reply to your question because:
Repair Work
She didn’t reply to your question because:
…she didn’t hear you.
Repair Work
She didn’t reply to your question because:
…she didn’t hear you.
…she doesn’t speak English.
Repair Work
She didn’t reply to your question because:
…she didn’t hear you.
…she doesn’t speak English.
…she didn’t want to admit that she doesn’t
know the answer.
Repair Work
She didn’t reply to your question because:
…she didn’t hear you.
…she doesn’t speak English.
…she didn’t want to admit that she doesn’t
know the answer.
…she was late for another meeting.
Repair Work
She didn’t reply to your question because:
…she didn’t hear you.
…she doesn’t speak English.
…she didn’t want to admit that she doesn’t
know the answer.
…she was late for another meeting.
…she is mean.
Repair Work
She didn’t reply to your question because:
…she didn’t hear you.
…she doesn’t speak English.
…she didn’t want to admit that she doesn’t
know the answer.
…she was late for another meeting.
…she is mean.
…she is crazy (irrational).
Levels of Discourse
Level 1: Content – Who & what the narrator is
talking about. (Can include Meadian ‘me’)
Level 2: Narrator-Interlocutor – What the
narrator & interlocutor are doing, their
identities, rights & duties. (Meadian ‘I’)
Level 3: Ideological – What are the relevant
wider social issues & players?
Positioning Diamond Analytical Grid
Positioning Diamond Elements
Social Forces of Discursive Acts
Storylines
Identities
Rights and Duties
Levels of Analysis
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
(Content)
(Narrator-Interlocutor)
(Ideological)
Swiss Election Campaign Poster (SVP)
Positioning Analysis of SVP Campaign Poster
Positioning Diamond
Elements
Social Forces
of Discursive Acts
Storylines
Identities
Rights and Duties
Levels of Analysis
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
(Content)
(Narrator-Interlocutor)
(Ideological)
Admonition &
(R)ejection of
foreigners
Warning; Call to vote
Warning; Call to
action
Swiss are ousting
SVP will secure Switzerland Securing
(criminal) foreigners from foreign threats.
Switzerland (from
foreigners)
Swiss: good
Foreigners: bad,
threats, criminals
SVP: police, savior, cleaner
Other political parties:
lenient, permit insecurity
Swiss: good
Foreigners: bad,
security threats
Swiss have R&D to
remove foreigners
from society.
Swiss have duty to vote for
SVP.
Swiss have R & D to
protect & secure
Switzerland
Response to Election Campaign Poster (I)
Response to Election Campaign Poster (II)
Positioning Analysis of Reaction Posters
Positioning Diamond
Elements
Levels of Analysis
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
(Content)
(Narrator-Interlocutor)
(Ideological)
Warning;
Call to vote;
Admonition of SVP
Warning; Call to
action
of Discursive Acts
Admonition &
(r)ejection of SVP,
racists
Storylines
Swiss are ousting
racists, such as SVP
Swiss people will secure
Switzerland from racists &
hate-mongering politicians.
Swiss: diverse,
tolerant
SVP, racists: bad,
threat, nazis, hatemongers
Swiss have R&D to
remove racists from
society.
Swiss: intolerant of racists
& hate-mongerers
SVP: nazis, hate-mongers
Securing
Switwerlqnd (from
racism &
xenophobia)
Tolerant people;
Racists,
xenophobes
Social Forces
Identities
Rights and Duties
Swiss have duty to NOT
vote for SVP.
Swiss have R & D
to protect & secure
Switzerland
From Principle to Plan: The Analytical Process
STEP 1: Establishing a Meaning System (Pos Diamond)
A) A narrative context is evoked (‘storyline’);
B) Certain identities are evoked within this context;
C) Rights and duties are allocated to actors.
• A,B & C are evoked through discursive acts.
STEP 2: Determine the appropriate/rational Act
(based upon rights & duties assigned)
STEP 3: Interpret specific actions as manifestations of
the act. This includes evoking identities for the actors.
From Principle to Plan: Example I
STEP 1: Establishing a Meaning System (Pos Diamond)
A) Storyline: Securing Switzerland
B) Identities: Swiss: good; Foreigners: bad, threats, criminals
C) R&Ds: Swiss have duty to protect Switzerland
STEP 2: Determine the appropriate/rational Act
Rational act: Remove ‘foreigners’ from Switzerland
STEP 3: Interpret specific actions as manifestations of
the act. This includes evoking identities for the actors.
From Principle to Plan: Example I
STEP 1: Establishing a Meaning System (Pos Diamond)
A) Storyline: Securing Switzerland
B) Identities: Swiss: good; Foreigners: bad, threats, criminals
C) R&Ds: Swiss have duty to protect Switzerland
STEP 2: Determine the appropriate/rational Act
Rational act: Remove ‘foreigners’ from Switzerland
STEP 3: Interpret specific actions as manifestations of
the act. This includes evoking identities for the actors.
Possible actions:
Put ‘foreigners’ on a bus toward border;
From Principle to Plan: Example I
STEP 1: Establishing a Meaning System (Pos Diamond)
A) Storyline: Securing Switzerland
B) Identities: Swiss: good; Foreigners: bad, threats, criminals
C) R&Ds: Swiss have duty to protect Switzerland
STEP 2: Determine the appropriate/rational Act
Rational act: Remove ‘foreigners’ from Switzerland
STEP 3: Interpret specific actions as manifestations of
the act. This includes evoking identities for the actors.
Possible actions:
Put ‘foreigners’ on a bus toward border;
Shoot ‘foreigners’ on sight.
From Principle to Plan: Example II
STEP 1: Establishing a Meaning System (Pos Diamond)
A) Storyline: Securing Switzerland
B) Identities: Swiss: good; Foreigners: bad, threats, criminals
C) R&Ds: Swiss have duty to protect Switzerland
STEP 2: Determine the appropriate/rational Act
Rational act:
Restrict ‘foreigners’’ entry into Switzerland
STEP 3: Interpret specific actions as manifestations of
the act. This includes evoking identities for the actors.
From Principle to Plan: Example II
STEP 1: Establishing a Meaning System (Pos Diamond)
A) Storyline: Securing Switzerland
B) Identities: Swiss: good; Foreigners: bad, threats, criminals
C) R&Ds: Swiss have duty to protect Switzerland
STEP 2: Determine the appropriate/rational Act
Rational act:
Restrict ‘foreigners’’ entry into Switzerland
STEP 3: Interpret specific actions as manifestations of
the act. This includes evoking identities for the actors.
Possible actions: Refuse to issue visas.
From Principle to Plan: Example II
STEP 1: Establishing a Meaning System (Pos Diamond)
A) Storyline: Securing Switzerland
B) Identities: Swiss: good; Foreigners: bad, threats, criminals
C) R&Ds: Swiss have duty to protect Switzerland
STEP 2: Determine the appropriate/rational Act
Rational act:
Restrict ‘foreigners’’ entry into Switzerland
STEP 3: Interpret specific actions as manifestations of
the act. This includes evoking identities for the actors.
Possible actions: Refuse to issue visas.
Put ‘foreigners’ crossing border illegally on a bus.
From Principle to Plan: Example II
STEP 1: Establishing a Meaning System (Pos Diamond)
A) Storyline: Securing Switzerland
B) Identities: Swiss: good; Foreigners: bad, threats, criminals
C) R&Ds: Swiss have duty to protect Switzerland
STEP 2: Determine the appropriate/rational Act
Rational act:
Restrict ‘foreigners’’ entry into Switzerland
STEP 3: Interpret specific actions as manifestations of
the act. This includes evoking identities for the actors.
Possible actions: Refuse to issue visas.
Put ‘foreigners’ crossing border illegally on a bus.
Shoot ‘foreigners’ crossing border illegally on sight.
Challenging Rationality
• The ‘rationality’ of this analytical process can be
challenged at each interpretive step (and their
parts). (We must secure Switzerland, but reforming the
sheep is the solution. OR ‘Switzerland is secure enough.’)
• Some challenges will take the form of a
normative/ethical challenge. (‘We could remove
foreigners by bus or bullet, but the latter would be
extreme.’)
• Other challenges can target the identities evoked.
(‘We must oust the bad sheep, but not all foreigners are
bad.’)
Example: Rwandan Genocide
RTLM journalist: ‘If Hutus unite and understand that Tutsis
should abandon their thirst for power forever, then clearly
no foreigner will rule Rwanda. We are the ones who
should rule, in full democracy. It is therefore clear that if
one ethnic group in the country takes an uncompromising
stand while it constitutes the minority, the majority cannot
roam around asking for help saying that the minority ethnic
group has attacked them. This would be utter foolishness.
This is disgraceful in the eyes of the international
community, which says that if an ethnic group rises against
us, we should fight back and subjugate it, and if we lose,
we should allow it to govern. It is then impossible for the
Tutsi minority, which is 8%, to defeat the Hutus and to
rule the country just because it is backed by Museveni.’
United Nations University - Comparative Regional Integration Studies
UNU-CRIS
Example: Rwandan Genocide –
Redressing an alleged transgression
‘They are hard to please, they are wicked… It
is obvious that they were created to gulp our
Rwandan blood and to kill. It is in their
nature. It is thus a waste of time to continue
pleading with them… Let them take up
guns, we will do the same. Let the Inyenzi’s
fate be sealed, as is already the case. …So,
we have no other choice but to fight the
Inyenzi-Inkotanyi and to exterminate them.’
(Valérie Bemeriki, RTLM Tape no 0035 (KT00-0876), 20/06/1994)
United Nations University - Comparative Regional Integration Studies
UNU-CRIS
From Principle to Plan: Example from Rwanda
STEP 1: Establishing a Meaning System (Pos Diamond)
A) Storylines: ‘(Hutu) Majority Fights for Democracy’;
‘Attack on Rwandan National Sovereignty’
B) Identities: Hutus: Majority, Rwandan
Tutsis: Minority, Foreigners
C) R&Ds: Majority (Hutus): right to govern.
Minority (Tutsis): Duty to submit to rule of the majority.
Rwandans (Hutus): Right to sovereignty.
Foreigners (Tutsis): Duty to respect sovereignty & not interfere.
STEP 2: Determine the appropriate/rational Act
STEP 3: Interpret specific actions as manifestations of the act.
From Principle to Plan: Example from Rwanda
STEP 1: Establishing a Meaning System (Pos Diamond)
A) Storylines: ‘(Hutu) Majority Fights for Democracy’;
‘Attack on Rwandan National Sovereignty’
B) Identities: Hutus: Majority, Rwandan
Tutsis: Minority, Foreigners
C) R&Ds: Majority (Hutus): right to govern.
Minority (Tutsis): Duty to submit to rule of the majority.
Rwandans (Hutus): Right to sovereignty.
Foreigners (Tutsis): Duty to respect sovereignty & not interfere.
STEP 2: Determine the appropriate/rational Act
‘Fight back’, ‘Subjugate’, ‘exterminate’ the cockroaches
STEP 3: Interpret specific actions as manifestations of the act.
From Principle to Plan: Example from Rwanda
STEP 1: Establishing a Meaning System (Pos Diamond)
A) Storylines: ‘(Hutu) Majority Fights for Democracy’;
‘Attack on Rwandan National Sovereignty’
B) Identities: Hutus: Majority, Rwandan
Tutsis: Minority, Foreigners
C) R&Ds: Majority (Hutus): right to govern.
Minority (Tutsis): Duty to submit to rule of the majority.
Rwandans (Hutus): Right to sovereignty.
Foreigners (Tutsis): Duty to respect sovereignty & not interfere.
STEP 2: Determine the appropriate/rational Act
‘Fight back’, ‘Subjugate’, ‘exterminate’ the cockroaches
STEP 3: Interpret specific actions as manifestations of the act.
Kill Tutsis
Contact Information
Dr. Nikki Slocum - Bradley
UNU-CRIS
c/o Grootseminarie
Potterierei 72, 2nd floor
B - 8000 Bruges
Tel. +32 50 47 11 00
Fax +32 50 47 13 09
E-mail : NSlocum@cris.unu.edu
http://www.cris.unu.edu
United Nations University - Comparative Regional Integration Studies
UNU-CRIS