Cultural Scripts

Goddard, and Wierzbicka (2004) refer to the term 'cultural scripts' as a "powerful new technique for articulating cultural norms, values, and practices in terms which are clear, precise, and accessible to cultural insiders and to cultural outsiders alike".

Example:

I was having a discussion with my Australian born, Australian friend, Pete, about something I cannot remember Exactly, so i'll make something up along the same lines.

Pete: So I got a call from Carol and Carl (current landlords) and they've told me they're selling the house

Me: Whaa? since when

Pete: We will get a letter in the mail about it soon

Me: So what now? do we stay or do we move? How long do we have?

Pete: I really don't know, I'll have a yarn to them about it later

Me: What? a yarn?

Pete: Yea.

Me: Huh

Pete: What?

Me: What is a yarn?

Pete: Huh

Me: What is a yarn? Is that a country expression or something?

Pete: Er. Um. No? 

Me: So, what does it mean?

Pete: Have a discussion, sort of

Me: Why didn't you just say that then

Me: Your so country 

Pete: Laughs (as if i'm strange for not knowing the expression)

Me: Laughs (from sheer confusion)

... END of conversation.

The point of that was, that there are specific words of phrases that are markers of Australian cultural identity.

The key reading use the example of the term ‘Bloody’, describing it as the ‘great Australian Adjective’(Wierzbicka, 2002). A word so common it is even used in parliament, and in the mouths of children. The word blood is not exclusively an Australian word, but the context and frequency of its use is Australian. The term can be sorted into two bloody categories; bloody¹ and bloody² :

·         Bloody¹ -‘‘when I say this I feel something bad’’

E.g. ‘‘It’s the bloody cat!’’. When you see fluffy after he has been missing for a week

·         Bloody² -‘‘when I say this I feel something’’

E.g. ‘‘That’s the bloody spirit!’’. Said in determination, someone has tried to go ice skating, but keep falling down, but stayed determined to master this, someone could then say "That's the bloody spirit."

I found this video online. It shows differences in cultures

Goddard, C., & Wierzbicka, A. (2004). Cultural scripts: What are they and what are they good for? Intercultural Pragmatics, 1(2), 153–166

Wierzbicka, A. (2002). Australian Cultural Scripts – Bloody Revisited. Journal of Pragmatics 34, 1167–1209

Ethnomethodology

So, Ethnomethodology is a perspective within sociology which focuses on the way people make sense of their everyday world. People employ practical reasoning rather than fact to make sense of and function in society (Linstead, 2006).

So in my SOC tutorial today I had my Data Discussion Presentation. I attempted to show an example of Ethnomethodology through a bit of poor acting (some people fell for it).

It went something along these lines:

                     I pretend to get a phone call during my presentation, and apologetically answer

Script:

Hello

Yes that’s me, thank you for calling me back

Well I need to make an appointment, for an ultrasound

How far into?

2 months (RUBS TUMMY)

Next Tuesday, um yes that’s fine.

See you then

I then asked the audience "who though I was pregnant?"

The audience did not know the context in which I needed the ultrasound, and thus they employed practical reasoning to determine a 'probable' answer. When in fact the context of the call could have been:

How far into:

                - the chemotherapy are you?

                - your semester of university are you?

Individuals need to make sense of these events, to maintain their own sanity

Linstead, S. (2006). Ethnomethodology and sociology: an introduction. The Sociological Review, 54(3), 399-404

Group Presentation

Taylor Dal Santo, Jessica Myers, Suzan Selbes

My Group Work.
Presentation Of Self
In print screen form :)

My Data Discussion Presentation

by ME