Theories

Question 1

Althusser

Answer 1

• Concept of the ‘ideal reader’
• Believed that any text can act to persuade its target audience to adopt ways of thinking intended by its creator.
• He saw ISA’s (school, law etc) as social institutions as helping to socialise individuals into fixed ways of thinking

Question 2

Searle Speech act theory

Answer 2

• speech act theory is a subfield of pragmatics
• concerned with the ways in which words can be used not only to present information but to carry out actions
• speech acts are commonly taken to include acts such as promising, ordering, greeting, warning, inviting, and congratulating

Question 3

Giles accommodation theory

Answer 3

• We adjust our accent/ speech according to who we are addressing
• Convergence- more common, when we move our speech closer to that of another person (manager might do this to get a customer to buy product)
• Divergence- when people want to stand out more so speech styles move further apart (lawyer might do this to intimidate defendant)

Question 4

Brown and Levinsons face and politeness

Answer 4

• Looked at the ways people can speak to avoid loosing face
• Positive face- universal human need to feel valued and appreciated
• Negative face- universal need to feel independent and not be imposed upon
• Face threatening act- speech act that has the potential to damage someone’s self-esteem either in terms of positive or negative face
• Politeness strategies- distinctive ways in which speakers can choose to speak to avoid threatening face