John Benjamins Publishing Company
Chapter 5. Analyzing meetings in political and business contexts
Abstract
This chapter compares various instances of everyday routine meetings in political institutions (such as the European Parliament and the European Commission) with meetings in business organizations, with the aim of, first describing similarities and differences in the genre (and subgenres) of meetings across organizations and social fields; and of secondly investigating the impact of organizational knowledge of the genre on presuppositions and context models of the participants related to the interaction and intended outcome of the meetings. I argue that the concept of a “prototype genre of meeting” is adequate for an integrated, interdisciplinary discourse-analytical and sociolinguistic theoretical framework which allows understanding and explaining the intricate dynamic of meetings in a systematic, in-depth, and context-dependent way. Moreover, I claim that organizational knowledge of the genre is part and parcel of successful interaction strategies; and that much miscommunication and problems could be avoided if manifest and latent genre conventions were sufficiently acknowledged. Drawing on transcribed data of 36 meetings in the European Parliament and European Commission, on the one hand, and of 6 meetings (2 away days, 4 regular) in one large business organization, on the other hand, I illustrate the salience of the genre characteristics in the interaction and its intended, expected, and actual outcome.
Abstract
This chapter compares various instances of everyday routine meetings in political institutions (such as the European Parliament and the European Commission) with meetings in business organizations, with the aim of, first describing similarities and differences in the genre (and subgenres) of meetings across organizations and social fields; and of secondly investigating the impact of organizational knowledge of the genre on presuppositions and context models of the participants related to the interaction and intended outcome of the meetings. I argue that the concept of a “prototype genre of meeting” is adequate for an integrated, interdisciplinary discourse-analytical and sociolinguistic theoretical framework which allows understanding and explaining the intricate dynamic of meetings in a systematic, in-depth, and context-dependent way. Moreover, I claim that organizational knowledge of the genre is part and parcel of successful interaction strategies; and that much miscommunication and problems could be avoided if manifest and latent genre conventions were sufficiently acknowledged. Drawing on transcribed data of 36 meetings in the European Parliament and European Commission, on the one hand, and of 6 meetings (2 away days, 4 regular) in one large business organization, on the other hand, I illustrate the salience of the genre characteristics in the interaction and its intended, expected, and actual outcome.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Notes on contributors vii
- Analyzing genres in political communication 1
-
Part I. Theory-driven approaches
- Chapter 1. Genres in political discourse 29
- Chapter 2. Political interviews in context 73
- Chapter 3. Policy, policy communication and discursive shifts 101
- Chapter 4. The television election night broadcast 135
- Chapter 5. Analyzing meetings in political and business contexts 187
- Chapter 6. Presenting politics 223
-
Part II. Data-driven approaches
- Chapter 7. Legitimizing the Iraq War through the genre of political speeches 239
- Chapter 8. Macro and micro, quantitative and qualitative 267
- Chapter 9. Reframing the American Dream 297
- Chapter 10. The late-night TV talk show as a strategic genre in American political campaigning 321
- Chapter 11. Multimodal legitimation 345
- Chapter 12. Blogging as the mediatization of politics and a new form of social interaction 379
- Index 423
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Notes on contributors vii
- Analyzing genres in political communication 1
-
Part I. Theory-driven approaches
- Chapter 1. Genres in political discourse 29
- Chapter 2. Political interviews in context 73
- Chapter 3. Policy, policy communication and discursive shifts 101
- Chapter 4. The television election night broadcast 135
- Chapter 5. Analyzing meetings in political and business contexts 187
- Chapter 6. Presenting politics 223
-
Part II. Data-driven approaches
- Chapter 7. Legitimizing the Iraq War through the genre of political speeches 239
- Chapter 8. Macro and micro, quantitative and qualitative 267
- Chapter 9. Reframing the American Dream 297
- Chapter 10. The late-night TV talk show as a strategic genre in American political campaigning 321
- Chapter 11. Multimodal legitimation 345
- Chapter 12. Blogging as the mediatization of politics and a new form of social interaction 379
- Index 423
