Language in Social Worlds

This is the first text on language in communication written from a social psychological perspective that sets issues in their broader biological, sociological and cultural contexts.

W. Peter Robinson is Professor Emeritus of social psychology and a Leverhulme Research Fellow at the University of Bristol.

List of Figures

x

List of Tables

xi

Preface

xii

Acknowledgments

xvi

The Contextual Framework for Social Psychology of Language in Communication: Aims and Issues

1

(13)

Introduction

1

(1)

The Nature of Verbal Communication

2

(4)

Semiotics

6

(4)

Terms of Reference in the Study of Language in Communication

10

(2)

Summary and Implications

12

(2)

Language in and out of Context: Structure and Substance

14

(27)

Language

14

(3)

Language as System and Language as Resource

17

(6)

How the English Language Works

23

(13)

Implications for the Study of Language in Communication

36

(5)

Functions of Language

41

(28)

Introduction

41

(5)

A Framework of Functions

46

(11)

A List of Functions - with Illustrative Introductory Comments

57

(7)

Commentary

64

(5)

Non-Verbal Communication (NVC) in Non-Human Creatures

69

(12)

Introduction

69

(1)

Avoiding Starvation and Predation

70

(2)

Achieving Reproduction

72

(1)

Criteria of Competitive Advantage

73

(1)

Animal NVC in Relation to Functions of Language

73

(4)

F1 to F9: Vocalization in the Eastern Phoebe: Ambiguities and their Resolution

77

(1)

Features Common to Animals and Human Beings

78

(2)

Discussion

80

(1)

Human Non-Verbal Communication

81

(19)

Introduction

81

(1)

Features of NVC

82

(9)

NVC in Relation to Functions of Language

91

(1)

Organizing NVC

92

(3)

NVC in the Wider Context of Communication

95

(3)

To Carry Forward

98

(2)

Encounter Regulation and Conversation

100

(33)

Preliminary

100

(1)

Introduction

101

(2)

Small Group Dynamics

103

(1)

Non-Verbal Communication (NVC)

104

(2)

Californian Linguistic Turns

106

(4)

First, Catch Your Interlocutor

110

(1)

Greetings are Special

111

(1)

Kinds of Encounters: Procedural Rules

112

(1)

Political Interviews

113

(1)

Legal Difficulties with DWI

114

(4)

New Modes of Encounter

118

(3)

Old Mode of Encounter: Conversation

121

(6)

Conceptual Frameworks

127

(4)

Commentary

131

(2)

Regulation of States and Behavior of Self and Others

133

(16)

F5a: Expression of States

133

(1)

F2: Regulation of Self

134

(2)

F3a and b: Regulation of States and Behavior of Others

136

(1)

Attitude Change

136

(3)

Compliance

139

(2)

Accounting

141

(8)

Regulation and Marking of Social Relationships: Shaking Hands, Terms of Address and Reference, and Being Polite

149

(26)

Introduction

149

(1)

The Act of Shaking Hands

150

(4)

Addresses L or Refers to O

154

(7)

Politeness

161

(5)

The Role of Politeness in Human Behavior

166

(3)

Grice and Politeness

169

(1)

Accounting in Social Relationships

170

(3)

Complications

173

(2)

Marking of States, Identities, and Settings: Issues

175

(14)

Conceptual Distinctions and Clarifications

175

(4)

Stability and Change

179

(2)

Circles of Realities and Linkages to Truth

181

(7)

Summary

188

(1)

Marking of States. Identities, and Settings: Data and their Interpretation

189

(26)

Marking Emotional/Motivational States

189

(4)

Impressions of Others

193

(4)

A Taxonomy for Personality

197

(6)

Marking of Social Identity

203

(4)

Marking of Setting

207

(2)

Inference Processes: A General Comment

209

(2)

Articulating the Comments

211

(4)

The Representational Function (F7)

215

(28)

Setting the Scene

215

(6)

Domains of Representation

221

(14)

Extended Representations: Arguments

235

(1)

Arguing Crookedly

236

(1)

Crooked Arguments in Different Domains

237

(4)

Pro tem Conclusions

241

(2)

Mass-Mediated Communication: Spirals of Spin and Broken Swords of Truth

243

(30)

The Truth-Value of Statements and the Validity of Arguments in the Public Domain

243

(10)

The Mass Media

253

(6)

Raising the Stakes

259

(5)

Tyranny and the Media

264

(2)

Differential Access to Wisdom and Knowledge

266

(6)

Endpiece

272

(1)

Representation and Regulation: Their Relevance to Social Class

273

(12)

Bernstein

274

(1)

Mother-Child Interactions and the Representational Function

275

(7)

Commentary

282

(3)

Five Theories and a Representation-as-Default Thesis

285

(23)

Introduction

285

(2)

Language Expectancy Theories

287

(4)

Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT)

291

(2)

Linguistic Category Model (LCM)

293

(2)

Linguistic Relativity and the Whorfian Hypothesis

295

(5)

The Representation-as-Default Hypothesis

300

(5)

Discussion

305

(3)

Retrospect and Prospect

308

(30)

Introduction

308

(3)

Cultural Contexts of Research

311

(1)

Conceptual Concerns

312

(2)

Approaches: Functional/Structural versus Structural/Functional Approaches

314

(1)

What is to Count as Evidence

315

(2)

Methodological Diversity: Advantages and Pitfalls

317

(10)

Participants, Materials, and Procedures

327

(2)

Data

329

(1)

The Changing Games in Changing Social Worlds

330

(2)

The Whorfian Challenge and Beyond

332

(6)

References

338

(19)

Name Index

357

(6)

Subject Index

363

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Language in Social Worlds

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials