TOUCH-BASED COMMUNICATION
We wanted to explore a face-to-face communication between two people who
may or may not know each other, based on the act of touching each other’s
personal surrounding object. We are going to use Jacobson communication model
as a starting point for our analysis of the modality of the communication.
The analysis will help breaking down the communication to its fundamental
components, to then help us reconstruct a distant version of the same
communication.
The scenario we have chosen, as we pictured through the video, is a conversaton
between two people over a workdesk.
JAKOBSON'S COMMUNICATION MODEL
Prepared by Professor John Lye as a synopsis of part of Roman Jakobson's
"Linguistics and Poetics" (1958)
context
referential
message
poetic
addresser
emotive
addressee
connative
contact
phatic
code
metalinguistic
Functions (italicized phrases)
The context or referential function is what is being spoken of, what is being
referred to. In the expression "PLEASE put the f---ing CAT OUT NOW!" the
referential burden of the message is "I am requesting that the domesticated cat
(that is in our care) be put outside the house (in which we now are) at this time
(and not later)".
The poetic function is the focus on the message (the use of the medium) for its
own sake. The associations (equivalence, similarity and dissimilarity, synonymity
and antonymity); the repetitions of sound values, stresses, accents; the word and
phrase boundaries and relationships (e.g. elided vs end-stopped words): as these
are combined in sequence.
The emotive or expressive function of language refers to the attitude of the
addresser towards that of which (or to whom) he speaks: through emphasis,
intonation, loudness, pace, etc. This is a really, really IMPORTANT point.
The phatic function is the use of language to keep people in contact with each
other, the maintenance of social relationships -- includes 'idle chat'.
Kinda interesting, eh? Fun?
The metalinguistic function is that use of language by which people check out
with each other whether they are 'on the same page', using the same codes in
the same contexts. Are you with me on this one?
The connative function refers to those aspects of language which aim to create
a certain response in the addressee. Learn this now!
SCENARIOS
Analysis of Functions
The context or referential function What is a fork doing on your desk?..
The poetic function
The emotive or expressive function .
The phatic
The metalinguistic function
The connative function
Analysis of Functions
The context or referential function What is that box?
The poetic function
The emotive or expressive function .
The phatic
The metalinguistic function
The connative function
Analysis of Functions
The context or referential function is that a hammer in that corner?
The poetic function
The emotive or expressive function .
The phatic
The metalinguistic function
The connative function
!