ANT206H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Steam Whistle, Ostensive Definition, Deixis
Document Summary
Communication might suggest a simple transfer of information. A has an idea that he puts into words and sends this to b, b has an idea that he puts into words and sends this to a. There are four reasons that communication is never just about the transfer of information: Situation - the social situations in which people communicate (whether by speech or writing or some other means) are structured - they are part of culture. These social situations inevitably shape what gets communicated. Interaction - the specific ways in which people communicate are structured. These practices of social interaction inevitably shape what gets communicated. Language - the language that is used to convey a message is structured in particular ways. The structures of language inevitably shape what gets communicated. Ideology - the ideas that people have about how communication should be carried out are socially structured. Indexical expression: an expression whose reference can shift from context to context.
