Pragmatics and Audience

Recognising that the Zapatista have a number of socio-politically and culturally different audiences to address, it seems reasonable to assume that pragmatics will, whether intentional or not, play a particularly important role in communication of their message.

Specifically the relevance theory of Sperber and Wilson becomes important as it places more emphasis on the intention-recognition aspect of pragmatics than it does on deciphering through the code model of Locke and Saussure.

In the context of the EZLN communication model, a consideration of relevance theory centred pragmatics suggests that the same message could be interpreted very differently by a variety of audiences based on how they perceive the message is intended. This could pose problems if, for example, an audience has a predisposed prejudice toward the sender – but it could also present communication opportunities. It may be possible to develop an intent schema that would enable specific audiences to interpret intention differently from others. In this case, you could have two or more audiences view the same message but interpret it differently based on their specific intent schema.

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Published:: 12.19.07 / 3am

Category:: Uncategorized

admin 12.27.07 / 2pm

I should clarify that when I am referring to the importance of pragmatics in the perception of meaning in the communication model, I am speaking of pragmatics in a situational context rather than a specifically linguistic context. In other words, I am primarily concerned with the extra-lingual contexts that could include anything from news coverage in the mountains of Chiapas (with looming rain clouds in the background) to a call for more equity from a place that has very little of it.

admin 12.28.07 / 6am

This is associated with “Umwelt”, or an individual or cultural mindset. Aspects of pragmatics, and the relevance theory of Sperber and Wilson specifically, could assist in addressing concerns of Umwelt in an audience.

Christopher 1.4.08 / 11am

The communique of April 10, 1994 addresses the anniversary of the assassination of Emiliano Zapata but speaks of Votán-Zapata. Votán, in Mayan Tzeltal myth, is the man sent by God to distribute land to the indigenous. Zapata fought for autonomy of indigenous lands in the Mexican Revolution of 1911 and through contributions to the new Constitution of 1917.

In the context of relevance theory, one can imagine a situation whereby the merging of Tzeltal myth with that of Emiliano Zapata could be perceived by Tzeltal people as an attempt by Marcos to acknowledge their history and beliefs and to give them significance within the Zapatista movement. A sceptic could percieve it as merely an attempt to generate support among the Tzeltal and therefor not acknowledge the associated meanings behind the Votán myth. According to relevance theory, the perceived intent of the message will impact what is actually conveyed by it, and this will be predicated on the existing impressions of the speaker, in this case Subcomandante Marcos.

Pragmatics and Audience

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