BUSS 951
Critical Issues in Information
Systems
Lecture 11
Text and Context
Clarke, R. J (2001) L951-11:
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Recall
last lecture we looked at language in
the workplace
useful for analysing workpractices in
workplaces
we have seen in tutorials that work
practices, both manual and
computer based, can be theorised as
texts
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Agenda
rather than using signs, we use texts- signs
can be difficult to apply in practice and are
a very small unit of analysis
we will use systemic-functional linguistics
as a way of analysing workpractices in
workplaces
language or texts becomes an analytical
technology
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Evaluation of Semiotic
Analysis
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Semiotic Analysis
Criticisms (1)
sometimes semioticians present their
analyses as if they were objective,
scientific accounts rather than
subjective interpretations
some semiotic analysis has been
criticised as nothing more than arid
formalism
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Semiotic Analysis
Criticisms (2)
in structuralist semiotics the focus is
on langue rather than parole
(Saussure's terms) on formal
systems rather than on processes of
use and production.
structuralism was primarily
interested in studying structures in
language
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Semiotic Analysis
Criticisms (3)
Valentin Volosinov (Bakhtin) argues
that the prime determinant of a sign is
not its relationship to other signs but
rather the social context of its use
(Fiske 1992: 299).
Semiotics can appear to suggest that
meaning is purely explicable in terms
of determining structures
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Semiotic Analysis
Criticisms (4)
purely structuralist semiotics does
not address authorial intentions or
audience interpretation
it ignores particular practices,
institutional frameworks and the
cultural, social, economic and
political contexts
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Semiotic Analysis
Strengths (1)
semiotics emphasizes that signs are
related to their signifieds by social
conventions which we learn
we become so used to such
conventions in our use of various
media that they seem natural or
commonsense
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Semiotic Analysis
Strengths (2)
Examples:
television or photography becomes a 'a
window on the world'.
computers make organisations efficient
and effective
this is an ideological issue, since, “an
ideology is the sum of taken-forgranted realities of everyday life”
(Burgin 1982: 46).
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Semiotic Analysis
Strengths (3)
semiotics can help to make us aware
of what we take for granted in
representing the world
we are always:
dealing with signs, not with an
unmediated objective reality
that sign systems are involved in the
construction of meaning
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Semiotic Analysis
Strengths (4)
it can be difficult for us to realize the
conventional nature of such
relationships.
when we take these relationships for
granted we treat the signified as
unmediated or 'transparent' or
commonsense
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Text and Non-Text
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Text and Non-Text
knowing when we do not have texts
is very important!
one way of defining the difference
between Computing Science and
Information Systems fields (in Aust.,
Britain, Nth America) is based on the
non-text/text distinction...
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Information Systems
Text and Non-text
Information Systems Culture, Institutions,
Organisations, Communications
Field
in social use: Computer Centres,
Text
Business Data Processing etc.
Non-text
Computing Science
Field
Operating Systems, File Systems
Compilers, Loaders, Linkers,
Machine Architecture
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Information Systems
Text and Non-text
we can see from the previous slide, that
the objects of interest in computing
science are basically all non-text
the exact opposite is true of IS!
however in conducting IS studies in
organisations we are faced with a
methodological problem...
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Text and Non-Text
sometimes it is not possible to directly
acquire relevant texts in organisational
applications
stictly speaking non-texts are unanalysable
using SFL
many situations could be classed as nontexts
Example 1: The Lone User
Example 2: Past Workpractices
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Example 1: Lone User
Computer based tool user working in
apparent isolation in the organisation
this situation is referred to as the Iexperience by Bakhtin (Volosinov in Innis
ed/ 1985, 54-56).
Whatever may be going on is happening
inside the head of the user, about which
nothing linguistically can be said.
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Example 2: Past Workpractices
trying to analyse a past work practice
an analyst may occasionally find
objects which provide clues to a
workpractice which no longer exists
must be addressed in longitudinal
(that is long-term) studies
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Empty Corpus Problem (1)
Methodologically, these two
examples are instances of the empty
corpus problem (Andersen 1992)
Both previous examples are
unanalysable using systemicfunctional linguistics
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Empty Corpus Problem (2)
Partially Resolved
However, it is possible to transform
an unanalysable empty corpus into a
situation in which a text is produced:
probing for, or eliciting, a text in a
situation in which we would normally
not expect one
in fact SFL can help us determine the
best way to achieve this transformation!
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Context and Text
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Context and Text
SFL Semiotic Model of Language
used Systemic Functional Linguistic
(SFL) theory to provide actual methods
for conducting applied linguistic
analysis of texts (Halliday 1985)
the Stratal Model of SFL (Martin 1992) is
derived in subsequent slides- useful in
identifying which strata, systems, and
units to consider in a specific study
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Context and Text
Realisation
every text refers to its social context- we use
the term ‘social context’ in the broadest way
must do so in order to be meaningful that is
to communicate something to someone
in order to model the relationship between
language and social context we use
concentric ovals
one semiotic system (language) is a
realisation of another more abstract one
(social context)
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Social Context and Language
Redounding
 how language realises context is called
redounding
 language construes social context,
language is construed by social context,
and language reconstues social context ...
 a relationship of mutual determination and
interdependency NOT simple cause and
effect
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Context and Text
SFL Context and Text
Context
Text
 solidary relationshipthat is a relationship
of unity- between
texts and contexts
 context predicts text,
text construes context
 note the similarity to
Hjelmslev’s concepts
a major influence for
Martin’s reformulation
of Halliday
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Context and Text
SFL Bi-stratal Organisation of Context
Cultural
Context
Situational
Context
Language
 two types of context
recognised by the theory
(after Malinowski)
 Situational Context which
provides secific situational
‘values’ to the text
 Cultural Context which
provides a pattern or
template that is portable
across different situations
within a national or
organisational culture
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Context and Text
SFL Contextual Strata
Genre
Register
 Cultural Context is
represented in SFL by
Genre
 text staging involving
sequence, selection, and
iteration
Language
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Social Context and Language
Genre
this kind of patterning was referred
to in tutorials as Genre
this patterning is like a template
we can apply it in circumstances in
which the immediate situation may
not be known (buying goods in a
foreign country)
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Social Context and Language
Genre
Genre forms a context related to
“culture” and is referred to as the
Context of Culture
genre is a kind of generalised text
type:
novel
film
service encounter
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Social Context and Language
Genre: Several Theories
now it so happens that there are two
major views on genre
the first is that genre is simply the
unique instance of field, tenor and
mode (also called Contextual
Configuration)
this is the model of genre theorised
by Hasan
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Social Context and Language
Genre: Several Theories
in your reading, the ALABS system is
looked at from this point of view
initially- but it has some problems
when looking at IS in organisations
the alternative way of looking at genre
is to treat it in exactly the same way
as the rest of the SFL model ie/ as its
own strata
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Social Context and Language
Genre: Several Theories
for various reasons genre as a strata
(after Martin) is much better way of
looking at IS
like everything is SFL: linguistic
resources form systems available to
language usersgenre should also be treated in this way
IS appear to have some strange
characteristics- they are multigeneric by
nature
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Context and Text
SFL Contextual Strata
Genre
Register
Language
 Situational Context is
represented in SFL by
Register
 consisting of field- social
action and activities, tenorwho is involved in the
language, and mode- how
language is used
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Social Context and Language
Register
we have also started to analyse texts
in terms of their field, tenor and mode
field- social activities and actions
tenor- who is doing what to whom
mode- how language is used
these attributes were called Register
or Context of Situation
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Social Context and Language
Register
but we also said that we could
identify an extra type of context
a kind of patterning exists in texts
which is separate from the immediate
situation (field, tenor and mode)
the patterning is portable across
different situations
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Language and Social Context
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Language and Social Context
Language as a Semiotic System
unlike most semiotic systems, the
meanings in language (content) are
not directly realised into sounds or
letters (expression)
language is a semiotic system
consisting of three levels
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Language and Social Context
Language as a Semiotic System
recall Saussure’s concept of the sign
= signifer + signified
content, or the meanings of language
(signified), utilise two levels
meanings are realised in wordings (that
is words and grammar)
then, wordings are realised by an
expression consisting of sounds and
letters
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Context and Text
SFL Tri-stratal Organisation of Language
Genre
Register
Meanings
Wordings
Expression
 unlike most semiotic
systems, the
meanings in language
(content) are not
directly realised into
sounds or letters
(expression)
 language is tristratal;
the content (signified)
involves meanings
and wordings
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Context and Text
SFL Language Strata
Genre
Register
Discourse
Semantics
Lexico-grammar
Phonology
Graphology
 meanings of a text are
associated with the strata
of Discourse Semantics…
 …are in turn realised in
wordings (words and
grammar) are associated
with the strata of Lexicogrammar
 …are in turn given
expression (sounds and
letters) with the strata of
Phonology/Graphology
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Context and Text
SFL Metafunctions
Genre
Register
field
Discourse
Semantics
tenor
interpersonal
mode
experiential
textual
Lexico-grammar
Transitivity
Mood
Theme
Phonology
Graphology
 while strata are responsible
for major language units,
metafunctions are
responsible for the kinds of
meanings simultaneously
conveyed in texts:
 ideational metafunctionconcerned with action
 interpersonal metafunctionconcerned with reflection
 textual metafunctionconcerned with connection
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Context and Text
SFL Ideational Metafunction
 resolved in language as two
distinct components-
Genre
Register
field
Discourse
Semantics
tenor
interpersonal
mode
experiential
textual
Lexico-grammar
Transitivity
Mood
Theme
Phonology
Graphology
 experiential meaning:
expression of processes and
other phenomena in the social
world including the speakers’
own consciousness
 logical meanings: involves the
mapping of experiential
meanings into language
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Context and Text
SFL Interpersonal Metafunction
 the metafunction of language
by which:
Genre
Register
field
Discourse
Semantics
tenor
interpersonal
mode
experiential
 social groups are delimited and
 the individual is identified,
represented and reinforced
textual
Lexico-grammar
Transitivity
Mood
Theme
Phonology
Graphology
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Context and Text
SFL Textual Metafunction
 refers to the way the text is
organised as a piece of
writing
Genre
Register
field
Discourse
Semantics
tenor
interpersonal
mode
experiential
textual
Lexico-grammar
Transitivity
Mood
Theme
Phonology
Graphology
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Integration
Strata & Metafunction
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Discourse Semantics
Metafunctions
discourse semantics is the first content
layer in SFL model of language
three kinds of meanings (metafunctions)
are conveyed simultaneously in texts
ideational meanings
interpersonal meanings
textual meanings
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Discourse Semantics
Ideational Metafunction
ideational metafunction
resolved in language as two distinct
components- experiential and logical meanings
experiential meanings: expression of
processes and other phenomena in the social
world including the speakers own
consciousness
logical meanings: involves the mapping of
experiential meanings into language
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Discourse Semantics
Interpersonal and Textual Metafunctions
interpersonal metafunction:
social groups are delimited
the individual is identified and
reinforced
textual metafunction:
refers to the way the text is organised
as a piece of writing (or speech)
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Discourse Semantics & Register
Solidarity
it so happens that there is a
relationship (solidarity) between
register and discourse semantics:
Register Discourse-Semantics
field
tenor
mode
ideational
interpersonal
textual
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Lexico-grammar
second content level in SFL
metafunctions of discourse
semantics are rendered into words
(lexis) and grammar
consists of:
transitivity
mood
theme
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Lexico-grammar
Transitivity involves:
who is doing what to whom when where why and
how
Mood involves:
type of clauses, the degree of certainty or obligation
expressed, the use of attitude words, politeness
markers
Theme involves:
patterns of foregrounding and continuity in the
organisation of clauses
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LG & Discourse Semantics
Solidarity
it so happens that there is a relationship
(solidarity) between discourse semantics
and lexicogrammar:
Discourse-Semantics LG
ideational
interpersonal
textual
transitivity
mood
theme
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SFL Model of Language
these solidarities across strata can
be added to our SFL diagram
shows how parts of each strata are
involved in helping to produce texts
see Handout...
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Context of Culture
Genre
Register
Context of Situation
field
Discourse
Semantics
tenor
mode
experiential
interpersonal
textual
Lexico-grammar
Transitivity
Language
Mood
Theme
Phonology
Graphology
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Context and Text
Appropriate SFL Methods
stratal SFL model has useful properties, eg.
for a given study appropriate linguistic
methods can be determined in advance
for workpractices associated with IS,
metthods must be selected that emphasise
the relationship between a text and its
context, rather than the language system
methods associated with the (organisational)
of IS are used in the case
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SFL and Information Systems
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Language and social context
Applied to IS
SFL gives two complementary
perspectives
can look at the perspective of
language: IS as communication (text)
can look at the perspective of
context: IS as social organisation
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Language and social context
Applied to IS
applying SFL to examining systems is
very different to traditional IS
approaches
a given text provides only a partial
perspective about a work practice
in the short term a linguistic analysis
provides only a small part of the overall
picture
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Language and social context
Applied to IS
traditional IS practices are applied
top-down: gives a very broad picture
poor on details
SFL methodology is applied bottomup: provides a very detailed view of
work practices which then need to be
integrated across various sites
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Language and social context
Applied to IS
need to look at many actual texts in a
social context in order to find out
about work practices
only by shunting between language
and social context (the work practice
and the organisation) can we perform
a meaningful analysis
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Language and social context
Applied to IS
in your last substantive assignment
you were asked to collect a single
text (of a transaction)
you would need to collect many texts
of the same type of transaction
before you understood it (see all the
variations)
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Language and social context
Applied to IS
how many texts to collect?: well its
difficult to know
you need to include those people
involved in the work practices into
the analysis
so this SFL approach to
understanding work practices MUST
be participative
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SFL and IS
not all the SFL model needs to be
used on each text- what language
resources you use will depend on the
type of analysis needed
for IS the most useful strata and
context (genre and register) and
discourse semantics
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SFL and IS
IS are interesting because they are
multigeneric, many genres are involved
in describing the general properties of
texts
end-user modification of system and
wholesale management driven change
can be characterised using genre...
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