Relevance And Irrelevance
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Jan Strassheim
Abstract
Relevance and irrelevance, it is argued, are constitutive to our access to “information objects” on three interconnected levels: (1) access to the information object itself, (2) the information gained from it, (3) the use of that information. Relevance selectively shapes our experience and action, but the “irrelevance” of what is left out is not simply the opposite or absence of relevance. The complex relation between relevance and irrelevance expresses itself in different shades of knowledge and ignorance, and in a fuzzy border between information we do not want to access and information we cannot access. This implies both chances and risks for communication as a process of producing and exchanging information objects. In a second step, previous research on relevance and irrelevance is sketched with respect to different traditions and approaches: (1) Alfred Schutz and Aron Gurwitsch; (2) Paul Grice, Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson; (3) library and information science; (4) signs and language; and (5) epistemology and logic. Finally, the role of the word “relevance”, which is not found in all languages, is briefly considered after distinguishing the explicit reflection of relevance from the constitutive role of relevance, which often remains implicit.
Abstract
Relevance and irrelevance, it is argued, are constitutive to our access to “information objects” on three interconnected levels: (1) access to the information object itself, (2) the information gained from it, (3) the use of that information. Relevance selectively shapes our experience and action, but the “irrelevance” of what is left out is not simply the opposite or absence of relevance. The complex relation between relevance and irrelevance expresses itself in different shades of knowledge and ignorance, and in a fuzzy border between information we do not want to access and information we cannot access. This implies both chances and risks for communication as a process of producing and exchanging information objects. In a second step, previous research on relevance and irrelevance is sketched with respect to different traditions and approaches: (1) Alfred Schutz and Aron Gurwitsch; (2) Paul Grice, Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson; (3) library and information science; (4) signs and language; and (5) epistemology and logic. Finally, the role of the word “relevance”, which is not found in all languages, is briefly considered after distinguishing the explicit reflection of relevance from the constitutive role of relevance, which often remains implicit.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents IX
- Relevance And Irrelevance 1
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Theories
- New Reflections On The Problem(S) Of Relevance(S). The Return Of The Phenomena 21
- Finite Provinces Of Meaning: The Expansive Context Of Relevance 51
- Bridging Rhetoric And Pragmatics With Relevance Theory 69
- The Body Relevant 97
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Factors
- Relevance From And Beyond Propositions. The Case Of Online Identity 119
- Relevance Before, During, And After Discourse Experiences 141
- Social Distribution Of Knowledge In Action: The Practical Management Of Classification 161
- On Cooling The Relevance Out 187
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Challenges
- The Relevance Of The Irrelevant 209
- Many Ways Of Being Relevant. Information Support For Problem Solving And Decision Making 223
- Alterity And Biographical Experience: Relevance In Mediated Interaction 261
- Lady Justice Turns A Blind Eye: (Ir-)Relevance, Legal Thought And Social Order 281
- Notes On Contributors 303
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents IX
- Relevance And Irrelevance 1
-
Theories
- New Reflections On The Problem(S) Of Relevance(S). The Return Of The Phenomena 21
- Finite Provinces Of Meaning: The Expansive Context Of Relevance 51
- Bridging Rhetoric And Pragmatics With Relevance Theory 69
- The Body Relevant 97
-
Factors
- Relevance From And Beyond Propositions. The Case Of Online Identity 119
- Relevance Before, During, And After Discourse Experiences 141
- Social Distribution Of Knowledge In Action: The Practical Management Of Classification 161
- On Cooling The Relevance Out 187
-
Challenges
- The Relevance Of The Irrelevant 209
- Many Ways Of Being Relevant. Information Support For Problem Solving And Decision Making 223
- Alterity And Biographical Experience: Relevance In Mediated Interaction 261
- Lady Justice Turns A Blind Eye: (Ir-)Relevance, Legal Thought And Social Order 281
- Notes On Contributors 303
