(Im)possibility and the pragmatics of empowerment
This thesis explores the negotiation of context and strategic redefinition of reality through language and interaction, with an emphasis on perception/interpretation and empowerment as a social practice. The purpose of this project is to highlight several linguistic strategies being used by professional facilitators l in various contexts to help people overcome fear, apathy, and self-imposed limitations. Drawing on natural language data collected through participant-observation in several (subjectively) challenging situations - from abseiling to frrewalking - I use pragmatics and discourse analysis to investigate the perception of (im)possibility and people's 'commonsense' beliefs about what they can or cannot do (and why) in order to illustrate how these ideas can be challenged or changed through (re)framing, metaphor, and conceptual blending. I also discuss fear in terms of social performance and demonstrate how facilitators actively deconstruct and redefme the experience of fear through negotiated meaning in interaction. Finally, by drawing on a range of research literature from various fields I attempt to situate my own observations of language use within a larger body of interdisciplinary work dealing
Ristimaki, Thomas T.
(Im)possibility and the pragmatics of empowerment. This thesis explores the negotiation of context and strategic redefinition of reality through language and interaction, with an emphasis on perception/interpretation and empowerment as a social practice. The purpose of this project is to highlight several linguistic strategies being used by professional facilitators l in various contexts to help people overcome fear, apathy, and self-imposed limitations. Drawing on natural language data collected through participant-observation in several (subjectively) challenging situations - from abseiling to frrewalking - I use pragmatics and discourse analysis to investigate the perception of (im)possibility and people's 'commonsense' beliefs about what they can or cannot do (and why) in order to illustrate how these ideas can be challenged or changed through (re)framing, metaphor, and conceptual blending. I also discuss fear in terms of social performance and demonstrate how facilitators actively deconstruct and redefme the experience of fear through negotiated meaning in interaction. Finally, by drawing on a range of research literature from various fields I attempt to situate my own observations of language use within a larger body of interdisciplinary work dealing
possibility pragmatic empowerment explores negotiation context strategic redefinition reality language interaction emphasis perception interpretation empowerment social_practice purpose_project highlight several linguistic strategy_use professional various context help people overcome fear apathy self imposed limitation drawing natural_language data_collect participant_observation several challenge situation use pragmatic discourse_analysis investigate perception possibility people commonsense belief order_illustrate idea challenge change framing metaphor conceptual also_discuss fear term social performance actively deconstruct experience fear negotiate mean interaction finally draw_range literature various field attempt situate observation language_use within large_body interdisciplinary work deal