Variation in Conceptualization of Human Beings

Variation in Conceptualization of Human Beings Matthias Tauveron – University of Strasbourg DGKL 5, Freiburg 10/10/2012

Theoretical Framework → “identify cognitive and semantic specificities of human nouns as used in non-narrative discourses” In discourse: “How participants use linguistic and other resources to create meaning” (Deppermann, 2011) SITUATED COGNITION knowledge “used to extend cognitive activity to environment” (cf. Clancey, 1997) COGNITION as ACTION

Situated cognition : cognition as action Traditional opposition: thought ≠ action

(cf. Arendt, 1958)

•

social context of cognition: cognitive habits, tasks → professional work: specific purposes

•

cognition is a goal-oriented activity ⇒ ENTITIES

ARE CONCEPTUALIZED WITH RESPECT TO CURRENT ACTIVITY AND PURPOSE 1. 2. 3.

Data: “activity-oriented” corpus Study #1: comparing discourses Study #2: longitudinal study of texts

Data: activity-oriented corpus Variation in Conceptualization of Human Beings

Corpus constitution Study #1 Medical science

Biology

Education Sciences

Psychology

Differences between disciplines

A discipline ⇄ a discourse ⇄ a world vision (Rastier, 2001) What are the features used to make oppositions between human nouns ? Are there differences between the opposition systems from a discourse to another ?

Background of longitudinal study Study #2

(Rastier, 2001)

Discourse

Type of activity

Genre

Activity

Text

Action

Section of text

Act

Corpus of texts

Concepts : tools for action

Within a text: different sections ⇒ different acts & conceptualization ⇒ different formulation choices (Deppermann, 2011)

Study #1: comparing discourses Variation in Conceptualization of Human Beings

Comparing scientific disciplines Psychiatry

Patient Anatomy Sujet Être humain Femme Homme Personne Individu Type of practice

Gender difference

Humans as social beings

Anatomy

Observation

Relevant

Irrelevant

Psychiatry

Changingstate

Less relevant

Relevant

Conceptualization choices Generic use: la mutation K61Q a été mise en évidence chez l'homme (mutation K61Q has been highlighted in humans) Contrastive conceptualization: plus important chez les femmes que chez les hommes (stronger rate in women than men) Active dimension: Les sujets devaient discuter entre eux (People had to discuss among themselves) Social dimension: processus de formation de la personne (development process of the person)

Comparing scientific disciplines Biology

Psychology

Education Sciences

homme

generic use or quantification

femme

contrastive conceptualization

sujet

active dimension

patient individu personne

Passive dimension No active dimension Quantification

Active, moral, social dimension

Nouns that mark gender

Contrastive conceptualization

Study #2: longitudinal study within texts Variation in Conceptualization of Human Beings

Longitudinal study of texts 2 medical science PhD dissertations on addictions 1 in French, 1 in Swedish Different cognitive tasks (⇄ sections) • statistical processing ⇅ • account of healthcare treatment

Concordance plot: representing the density of word occurrences (AntConc 3.2.2.1.w)

Statistical processing sections

L’échantillon comptait 2 894 individus → counting The sample consisted of 2894 individuals On peut classer les individus en « malades » et « non malades » → sorting We can classify individuals into "sick" and "not sick"

A cognitive description of statistical processing • •

quantitative view of people aims at: counting & sorting people

⇒ prefatory task for scientific practice

Statistical processing sections statistical processing

life outside medical science

healthcare treatment

patient : temporary label SURROUNDING BACKGROUND

“On the boundary” between medical healthcare and “normal life”. • entities not involved in healthcare process: WHO • demographic/geographic view: i 17 länder representerande alla regioner i världen (in 17 countries representing all regions of the world) •

use of demographic categories: • •

gender (män, kvinnor, man, woman) age (unga vuxna, äldre vuxna, young adults, older adults).

Person: a multi-tool

person (SW) General noun used as support for formation of ad hoc category persons with... personer med schizofreni (people with schizophrenia) personer med svår psykisk sjukdom (people with severe mental illness) personer med beroende att förväntningarna på alkoholens positiva effekter (people with addiction to expectations of positive effects of alcohol) personer med drogrelaterade problem (people with drug-related problems)

Conclusion: cognition and action Variation in Conceptualization of Human Beings

Cognition as action • • •

depending on professional (⇒ social) context no idealized ability, outside of time and space concepts as tools used to perform tasks “every formulation is constructive” (Deppermann, 2011)

Study #1 Different activities ⇒ different oppositive systems (biology: active ≠ passive ; educ. sc.: non social ≠ social) Study #2 Different tasks within an activity ⇒ different views of human beings ⇒ different conceptualizations

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