Meaning and Action
Action
What did Goethe’s Dr. Faust say was “in the beginning” instead of “the Word”?
Bronislaw Malinowski
Who discovered that language is key to understanding Trobriand Island culture?
Contextualization cues.
What are tone, gesture, and body language signals that guide interpretation?
The co-operative principle
What idea says that people usually try to communicate helpfully and clearly?
Erving Goffman
Who said people take on social roles through their way of speaking?
Through what people do with words.
How is meaning created in communication?
Context of situation and context of culture
What two kinds of context are needed to understand meaning fully?
Situated inferences
What do listeners make when they connect words to a situation?
Paul Grice
Who proposed the co-operative principle?
Participation frameworks.
What are the local roles speakers play in a conversation called?
Verbal actions and interactions.
Through what must meaning be built again every time people speak?
Pragmatic meaning.
What type of meaning depends on how and when words are used?
Pragmatic coherence.
What is created when people make sense of each other’s words in context?
Quantity, Quality, Relation, and Manner.
What are Grice’s four conversational maxims?
Speaking for someone else.
What action can show either solidarity or power, depending on context?
Social context.
Where does cultural meaning take shape through communication?
Tribal economics, kinship, and beliefs.
What are examples of cultural factors that influence meaning?
Misunderstanding
What happens when people from different cultures read cues differently?
To share information clearly.
What is the main goal of cooperative communication?
Interactional style.
What reflects a person’s way of speaking that shows confidence, politeness, or distance?
Culture
What shapes how people use and understand language?
Kiriwinian language.
What language did Malinowski study to understand local life?
Voice tone and intonation.
What can change meaning even when the same words are used?
Different cultures may define “clear” or “polite” differently.
Why can cross-cultural conversations cause confusion even when people try to cooperate?
Power and authority.
What can people show or share when they talk with others?