Instructor Wrap Up - Wood Chapter 4

The World of Words

"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." 

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Key Concepts in this chapter:
abstract
ambiguous
arbitrary
communication rules
constitutive rules
hate speech
I-language
Indexing
Linguistic determinism
loaded language
punctuation
regulative rules
speech community
static evaluation
symbols
totalizing
you-language



I. The Symbolic Nature of Language. 

I wish I could say it better than your text, but Julia T. Wood does a great job of explaining words as symbols.  She says, "Words are symbols, which are arbitrary, ambiguous, abstract representations of other phenomena.  For instance, your name is a symbol that represents you.  House is a symbol that stands for a particular kind of building.  Love is a symbol that represents certain intense feelings.  All language is symbolic, not not all symbols are language."

Under this section, it is important to read through the Qulaities of Symbols, as noted in Figure 4.1 in your text (p. 95).

          A. Arbitrariness: there is no natural connection between the symbol and what it represents so at any point in time, the symbol or what it represents could change.

          B. Ambiguity: because we have unique individual experiences; there is a range of meanings on which most members of a culture agree.

          C. Abstraction: we do not touch the symbols we use the same way we may touch the things (e.g., a chair or computer) they represent.



II. Principles of Verbal Communication

A. Because language and culture reflect each other, we learn a set of values, perspectives, and beliefs when we learn to speak or read.

B. The Meaning of Language are Subjective - Because there are no single definitions for symbols, we must interpret them in the context of the present interaction to attach meaning, which is often subjective.

C. Language Use is Rule-Guided - Communication rules help us develop shared understandings of what is happening in a particular interaction and which is appropriate.

     1. Regulative Rules help us manage the when, how, where and with whom we talk about certain things.

     2. Constitutive Rules define what messages mean in a particular situation by specifying how to count or interpret specific kinds of communication.

D. Punctuation creates outer limits for what constitutes the beginning and ending of an interpersonal interaction.

III. Symbolic Abilities

"Our ability to use symbols allows us to live in a world of ideas and meanings.  Instead of just reacting to our concrete environments, we think about them and sometimes transform them.  Philosophers of language have identified five ways that symbolic abilities affect our lives (Cassirer, 1994; Langer, 1953, 1979)."

A. Language shapes perception.  We use symbols to define experiences, people, relationships, feelings, and thoughts.

B. Language evaluates.  Language is value laden and not neutral.

C. Language organizes perceptions. Symbols help us organize information and perceptions into categories so that we do not have to remember every aspect of every person, object, and event we encounter.

D. Language Allows Hypothetical Thought.

E. Language allows self-reflection.



IV. Speech Communities

"A speech community exists when people share norms about how to use talk and what purpose it serves (Labov, 1972)." ......... "Speech communities arise out of social locations - that is, people who share a social location tend to develop shared understandings of communication.  Members of speech communities share perspectives on communication that outsiders do not have.  This is one of the reasons why misunderstandings often arise between members of different social groups."

***Do not think of 'social location' as 'physical location'.  Read through this idea in your text.

A. Gender Speech Communities

1. From a young age, men and women are socialized into specific gender speech communities.

2. Women tend to be more expressive and relationship-focused. Men tend to be more instrumental and competitive.

3. Because of the differences between gender speech communities, there are some common misunderstandings that occur.



V. Guidelines for Improving Verbal Communication

A. Engaging in dual perspective, or recognizing the other’s viewpoint, asks us to create and interpret messages with both our view and the other’s view in mind.

B.  Recognize that starting sentences with “I” instead of “You” leads us to take responsibility for thoughts and feelings as well as describe rather than blame others.

C. Respecting what others say about their thoughts and feelings allows us to confirm rather than disconfirm them as people and helps us engage in dual perspective.

D. Be aware of levels of abstraction because symbols are arbitrary, ambiguous, and abstract, we need to find ways to make our communication more accurate and make it as concrete as is necessary for the situation at hand.



Personal Note:  I understand that I'm giving just a brief overview of this chapter in my "Instructor Wrap-Ups".  However, I must admit, I absolutely LOVE this text.  It is personable, relatable and ultimately, informative.  When choosing this text before the semester began, I immediately connected with the material and the way the author presented information.  It is an incredibly easy read, and very easy to understand.  Please do not replace reading the text with my "Instructor Wrap-Ups".  Make sure you thoroughly read through the text in order to get the most out of this class.