Sociocultural: Speech Act Theory, Language as Genderes, Feminine Style (Message) Flashcards
Who is the creator of Speech Act Theory?
John Searle
What is the idea behind Speech Act Theory?
If you make a promise, you communicate an intention to do something in the future and you expect the other communicator to recognise that intention.
Who was John Searle inspired by?
Ludwig Wittgenstein and J.L. Austins work
Whenever you make a statement like, “I will pay you back,” you accomplish several things. Elaborate on that. (Speech Act Theory)
- Utterance act: You are producing a piece of discourse
- Propositional act: You are saying something you believe to be true/get others to believe is true
- Illocutionary act: You are fulfilling an intention. (MOST IMPORTANT)
- Perlocutionary act: Designed to have an actual effect on the other person’s behavior
Explain the idea of intention and give an example of an perlocutionary act.
making a promise, an invitation, a request
a perlocution is an act in which the speaker expects the listener not only to understand but also to act on it.
“I am thirsty” with the intention of the other person to get you something to drink. An indirect request.
Explain what a propositional act is.
Saying something you believe to be true. Such as “Hi my name is Steven.” Its the truthfulness of the message
Propositions are not that important by themselves in Speech Act Theory as its interest in the intention behind the message.
Explain what a utterance act is.
A pierce of discourse. The words in the sentence you are saying. What you are saying. The first step.
Explain what a Illocutionary act is.
You are fulfilling an intention. “I promise you to pay you back”. You promise something, you have an intention behind the message.
Explain what a perlocutionary act is.
When saying “I’m thirsty” with the indirect request of getting something to drink. So you make the other person get you something to drink. You have an effect on the other persons behaviour.
What do John Searle mean by Constitutive rules?
Speaking a language is engaging in a rule-governed form of behaviour.
Constitutive rules: tells you how to interpret something ( as a promise, warning, request etc)
- e.g. help you distinguish a game of football from a game of basketball
What does John Searle mean by Regulative rules?
Provides guidelines for acting within a game.
- the behaviours are known and available before being used in an act. Tell us how to use speech to accomplish a particular intention.
e. g. If i want something, I make a request. When I request something of you, you are obligated either to grant the request or to turn it down.
What is Cheris Kramaera focus points around language?
The gendered implications of language.
She explores the ways in which messages threat men and woman differently.
Linguistic constructions treating men and woman differently.
“Waiter, Waitress”
Any language system has power relations embedded to it.
Why are Cheris Kramaera criticizing the English language?
The English language is a man-made language. White middleclass men are normalized in standard linguistic language.
Miss (not married) and Mrs (married)
Mr (you wouldn’t know)
In a field like history –> a story of mens activity
Technology: the development of machinery
but what about the woman who invented the birth control pill?
What is the consequence of a man-made language?
Muting and silencing of women.
Woman must translate their own perceptions, fellings into male-terms.
Woman lack words for describing an experience that is labeled feminine.
Woman understand men more easily, than men understand woman, because they need to know the practice of the dominant system.
What is meant by dominant language?
The dominant language is the language created by the dominant group, that faver their way of expressing things over the less dominant groups.
