Hi everyone
Ever notice how much space we take up apologising for something we
have said? Someone we have offended or may have offended? How
many of us apologise in advance in anticipation of offending someone?
I see that the exchange of meaning and communication at levels of
abstraction across electronic media is not aided by the
metacommunicative methods we employ to share and exchange signals in
audio, visual and oral communication* - (however it is we do that).
Whether it be by body language, speech and intonation, facial
expressions etcetera. We try using emoticons like the little smiley face to
indicate perhaps, that we are joking or not entirely serious.
* I am aware that we do not all use these as our primary modes of
communication.
I have recently been examining Gregory Bateson's (1955) theories of play
and fantasy. His theory of metacommunication and the 'play frame' and
of paradox go some way in explaining the nature of banter.
Basically the theory suggests that in order to play we must be able to
exchange the signals that carry the message "this is play"
(metacommunication). We create a psychological frame wherein all
behaviours and actions are to be interpreted with the overriding message
"this is play". Play however is unusual in that it contains actions that are
paradoxical or "not play". In playing Monopoly we engage in actions of
greed, vindictiveness, spite and avarice. When we play as in 'role play'
we can use deceipt, bluff & threat. When children play wrestling in the
yard, the actions are that of combat. When we play computer games, we
try to kill, squash, or rid opponents. When we flirt we engage again in
activities that are 'not play'. When I play with my cat, he bites me and
kicks me and purrs at the same time.
Bateson uses a wonderful sentence to examine the message "this is play".
He sees it as a negative statement containing an implicit negative
metastatement. (Bear with me here) Expanded, the statement translates
to: "These actions in which we now engage, do not denote what would be
denoted by those actions which these actions denote" In the case of two
people play fighting, a playful smack denotes a slap, but it does not
denote what would be denoted by the slap (aggression).
I see banter and the type of banter I use here on line sometimes, as play.
My family engages in banter as well. We say dreadful things to one
another because it makes us laugh. The more outrageous and clever, the
funnier it is. The actions would normally denote insult, mocking, hatred,
disrespect and many other nasties but because we exchange the
message "this is play" then we know how to read the messages.
One of the peculiarities of the play frame is its fragility. The frame is very
easily broken quickly turning the message from "this is play" to "this is not
play". When the punch is delivered too hard, when someone spits the
dummy because you bought the street they wanted in Monopoly. When
in flirting, one person goes too far. When in banter we hit a sensitive
area.
I am fascinated to know how we read and understand each other on this
list. How do we metacommunicate meaning when nuance can only be
determined by grammar? Is it dependent on trust and knowledge of
people?
If nuance in writing is so difficult, how is it that in work as fictional text and
poetry that we can detect nuance and meaning? - after all, good writing is
judged by some, by the way it is able to touch us and by its texture.
Is the ability to communicate nuance a skill? If so do we all have access
to this skill?
If the exchange of meaning is to be determined by a message that
underlines all writing within this email frame then what is that message?
Mairian if you are with me here, could you estimate the likelyhood that
Deaf people using sign are more or less apt to metacomminicate? Is
there a 'sign' language and a 'signal' language?
Best regards
Laurence Bathurst
School of Occupation and Leisure Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Sydney
P.O. Box 170
Lidcombe NSW 2141
Australia
Phone: (62 1) 9351 9509
Fax: (62 1) 9351 9166
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
Please visit the School's interim web site at
http://www.ot.cchs.usyd.edu.au
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Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious
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