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Rhetoric in Society

Rhetoric in Society. Construing ’hope’ in gene modification discourse: A study of inscribed and invoked mental processes Inger Lassen, Department of Languages, Culture and Aesthetics, Aalborg. Construing ’hope’. Background and context: The project ’Language, Society and Genomics’

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Rhetoric in Society

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  1. Rhetoric in Society Construing ’hope’ in gene modification discourse: A study of inscribed and invoked mental processes Inger Lassen, Department of Languages, Culture and Aesthetics, Aalborg

  2. Construing ’hope’ Background and context: • The project ’Language, Society and Genomics’ • The context of European skepticism Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  3. Construing ’hope’ Some purposes of this presentation: To argue that the mental process ’hope’- in its many explicit and implicit realizations - covers a vast meaning potential, ranging on a cline between desiderative sensing processes like ’want’ to cognitive processes like ’think’. To suggest that – whether congruent or incongruent, explicit or implicit - the meaning potential of ’hope’ expands through the interaction of appraisal resources and fundamental speech functions. Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  4. Construing ’hope’ Data and method: Ten interviews (eleven attitudes to the crops of the future) A Danish freelance journalist’s commission: ’Present a picture of the current attitudes to GMO and biotechnology in Denmark through interviews with approximately equal numbers of skeptics and supporters’ (Christiansen 2002: 8) Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  5. Construing ’hope’ Theoretical approach: • Systemic Functional Grammar (Halliday (1994), Halliday &Matthiessen 1999), Matthiessen (2004), Martin (1997), White (2001), Martin and Rose (2003), Martin and White (2005). • Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough 1995, 1998, 2003). Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  6. Role in exchange Commodity exchanged (a) goods-&-services (b) information (i) giving ‘offer’ [proposal] ‘statement’ [proposition] (ii) demanding ‘command’ [proposal] ‘question’ [proposition] Construing ’hope’ Table 1: Giving or demanding, goods-&-services or information (Halliday (revised by Matthiessen 2004: 107) Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  7. Construing ’hope’ SENSING PROCESSES: • Perceptive (pre-project facts (’they heard that..’) • Emotive (pre-project facts (’they were sad that…’) • Cognitive (create worlds of ideas about information that may not be valid) (’I think’) • Desiderative (create worlds of ideas, whose materialization depends on desire) (’I want’) Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  8. ‘HOPE’ (in direct quotes) ENGAGEMENT ATTRIBUTED UTTERANCES 3 examples ATTITUDE AFFECT JUDGMENT APPRECIATION 7 examples 7 examples 5 examples MODALITY (67 examples in total) 10 examples 9 examples 43 examples 5 examples DISCLAIMERS 3 examples 0 examples 0 examples 0 examples PROCLAIMERS 3 examples 0 examples 0 examples 0 examples Table 2. Realization of hope in ten interviews Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  9. Construing ’hope’ Realizations of ’hope’: • Example 1: (congruent, explicit realization) ’I hope that with time, GM technology will be recognized and used by environmentalists’ (2002: 10) Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  10. Construing ’hope’ Interaction of ’hope’, appraisal resources and speech functions: • Example 2 (3): Modalized Judgment(capacity),probability, inscribed ’By means of genetic engineering we can do this [interfere with nature: author’s comment] in a better, faster, safer and more applied manner. I am convinced that future generations will make the conclusion that GM technology has contributed greatly to making the world a better place (2000: 13) (Judgment in italics; modality underlined). Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  11. Construing ’hope’ • Example 3 (8): ModulatedJudgment, obligation (invoked negative Judgment of Greenpeace; inscribed positive Appreciation of GM-technology) ’When the population understands that the technology benefits the environment and sustainability – and at the same time is entirely safe – Greenpeace and the likewill have topack their bags. They will lose the battle’ (2000: 91). (Judgment in italics; modality underlined; appreciation in bold). Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  12. Construing ’hope’ • Example 4 (11): Modulated objective obligation: Positive invoked Judgment of ’following the same procedure’. ’It is an utter necessitythat we all follow the same procedure of approval’ (2000: 30) (Modulation underlined; Judgment in italics) Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  13. Construing ’hope’ • Example 5 (16): Modulated obligation and invoked negative Judgment of experts ’saying that GM technology is safe’. ’The decisive element will bethat the researchers do not make the mistake of saying that GM technology is ’completely safe’ because nothing is (2000: 83). (Modulation underlined; Judgment in italics) Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  14. Construing ’hope’ • Example 6 (24): Modulated obligation and invoked negative Affect and negative Judgment of scientific experiments. ’ I wantexperiments in which organic crops are compared with conventional and GM crops respectively’ (2000: 23) (Modulation underlined; Affect in bold; Judgment in italics). Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  15. Construing ’hope’ • Example 7: Inscribed positive Affect, positive Appreciation and positive Judgment combined with modal ’would be’(readiness/ ability/ inclination) ’It would be niceto get a GM variety with resistance against fungus and mould so I could reduce the frequency of the pesticide treatments from the present eight sprays’ (2000: 47). (Judgment in italics; Appreciation underlined; Affect in bold) Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  16. Construing ’hope’ • Example 8 (35): Engagement, proclaiming combined with invoked positive Judgment and modalization. ’How long will it be before genetically engineered plants are just as accepted and sought after in Denmark and Europe as GMO medicine is? [….] It is coming. I have no doubts whatsoever’ (2000: 89). (Judgment in italics; proclaiming part in bold; modalization underlined) Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  17. Construing ’hope’ Conclusions: • The notion of ’hope’ was an all-pervading feature in the interviews analysed • GMO-proponents hoped for wide acceptance of GM-technology • GMO-skeptics hoped for improved governance and control of risk relating to GM-technology (and feared untrolled technological advance) Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  18. Construing ’hope’ Conclusions continued: • The ten interviews only had three explicit realizations of ’hope’ • Instead, ’hope’ was expressed through invoked appraisal resources (in particular Judgment) combined with the modality system of probability, obligation, inclination and potentiality and through metaphors of mood and modality. Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

  19. Construing ’hope’ References: Christiansen, J.L. (2002): 11 attitudes to the crops of the future. Coffin. C. (1997): Constructing and giving value to the past: an investigation into secondary school history. In Christie, F. and Martin. J.R. (eds.) Genre and Institutions. Social Processes in the Workplace and School, pp 196-230. London and New York. Continuum. Droga and Humphrey (2002): Getting started with Functional Grammar. Fairclough, N. (2003): Analysing Discourse. Textual analysis for Social Research. London: Routledge. Iedema, R., Feez, S. & White. P.R.R. (1994) Media Literacy, Disadvantaged Schools Program, NSW Department of School Education, Sydney. Halliday, M.A.K. (1998): Things and relations: Regrammaticising experience as technical knowledge. In: J.R. Martin & R. Veel (eds.) Reading Science: Critical and functional perspectives on discourses of science. Pp 185-235. London: Routledge. Halliday, M.A.K. (revised by Matthiessen, C.) (2004): An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London and New York: Arnold Halliday, M.A.K. (1994): An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London. Arnold Halliday, M.A.K. (in Matthiessen, revision) (2004) An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London. Arnold. Martin, J.R. (1997): Analysing genre: functional parameters. In Christie, F. and Martin, J.R. (eds.) Genre and institutions. Social Processes in the Workplace and School, pp. 3-39. London and New York: Continuum. Martin, J.R. and Rose, D. (2003): Working with Discourse. Meaning beyond the clause. London: Continuum Martin, J.R. and White, P.R.R. (2005): The Language of Evaluation. Appraisal in English. UK: Palgrave. Rothery, J. and Stenglin, M. (1997): Entertaining and Instructing: exploring experience through History. In Christie, F. and Martin, J.R. (eds.) Genre and Institutions. Social Processes in the Workplace and School, pp 231-263. London and New York. Continuum. Toulmin, S. (1995): Uses of Argument. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. White, P. 2001): Appraisal: An Overview. www.grammatics.com/appraisal/.....(Website) Inger Lassen, Aalborg University

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