TOK: Problems of Knowledge: Language

Pete

What are some of the problems?

• Language is assumptive• Language is symbolic• Language is organic• Language is multiple• Language is complex• Language is coded

Problem 1: Assumptions

Stated• ’I love you’

Possible Pragmatic Assumptions

• She loves me• She loves me now• She loves me this much• She also loves him• She also once said she loves

skiing• She loves me but not in that

way• I don’t want her to love me…

Problem 2:Symbolism

Stated• ’I could eat a horse’

Possible symbolic interpretations

• She’s incredibly hungry• She’s incredibly greedy• She has weird taste in food• She is boasting• She won’t really eat a horse,

but she might eat a monkey• She has the right to eat a

horse• Etc.

Problem 3: Language is organic

Once• Gay• Postman• Black• Gain access to• Bad• Good / fantastic• Sort of…

Now• Happy• Postal delivery worker• Person of colour• To access• Cool / great / really good• Wicked• Like

Problem 4: Language is multiple

Word• in • In the car

• In this way• In time• Come in• Come in in third place• Move in• He was in on it• The ins and outs

Problem 4 continued

Word• Come • Come about

• Come by• Come close• Come down• Come easy• Come forth• Come forward• Come through• Come off it!

Problem 5: Language is complex”It is only through cultural production (and this includes one’s own language behaviours) that one can come to subjectivity. This is a process through which linguistic minority students, by speaking their own language, gain authorship of their world and are enabled to move from their present object to a subject position. However, this movement cannot occur unless progressive educators acquire critical tools that would facilitate the development of a thorough understanding of the mechanisms employed by the dominant culture in the reproduction of those ideological elements that devalue, disconfirm, and subjugate cultural and linguistic minority students.” (From: Macedo, Dendrinos and Gounari (2003) The Hegemony of English, Paradigm Publishers, Boulder Colorado, p.42)

Problem 6: Language is coded

He(Opening the fridge door and

looking inside)”There’s no milk.”

He”Is your mother coming this

weekend?”

She(Not looking up from her

laptop computer)”So drink it black.”

She”You are not going to play

golf.”

Conclusions?