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DISABILITY-RESEARCH  November 1999

DISABILITY-RESEARCH November 1999

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Subject:

Re: Attention to Detail

From:

"Laurence Bathurst" <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To:

Laurence Bathurst

Date:

Mon, 1 Nov 1999 17:30:47 +1100

Content-Type:

text/plain

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Parts/Attachments

text/plain (105 lines)

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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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