How disputes are reconciled in a Chinese courtroom setting: From an appraisal perspective

Zhenhua Wang; Qingbin Zhang

doi:10.1515/sem-2014-0020

Article

How disputes are reconciled in a Chinese courtroom setting: From an appraisal perspective

Zhenhua Wang
Wang Zhenhua (b. 1959) is a full professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University 〈wzhenhua@sjtu.edu.cn〉. His research interests include systemic functional linguistics, appraisal theory, forensic linguistics, and discourse semantics. His publications include System, function, and appraisal (2007); “Analysis of conflicts over Obama's Peace Prize for 2009: Attitude perspective” (2010); “Analysis of the generic structure of Constitution of the People's Republic of China” (2012); J. R. Martin's contribution to systemic functional linguistics (2012).
and Qingbin Zhang
Zhang Qingbin (b. 1984) is a PhD student at Shanghai Jiao Tong University 〈58304057@qq.com〉. His research interests include systemic functional linguistics, appraisal theory, and discourse analysis. His publications include “The activating condition for domain of ICM – ‘need’ ” (2010); “A cognitive approach to the new passive construction ‘bei+intransitive’ ” (2011); and “Interpersonal meaning of the modern Chinese ‘ge’ in its non-typical structure” (with Z. Wang, 2012).

Published/Copyright: July 31, 2014

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From the journal Semiotica Volume 2014 Issue 201

Abstract

Disputes and conflicts affect interpersonal relationships. The key factors in resolution are what attitudes people take and what kinds of reconciliation people choose. The paper examines the language of judges from the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistics, specifically Appraisal System. It presents a case study that is a civil one brought to court in Tahe County in China. The case concerns the conflict and dispute between a chicken raiser and his neighbor. The judge resolved the conflicts and disputes, and the two parties were reconciled. The appraisal analysis of the language used by the two parties explains how conflicts and disputes occurred. The appraisal analysis of the judge's language explains how the mediation succeeded in reconciling the conflicts and disputes.

Keywords: judicial language; interpersonal meaning; appraisal; reconciliation

About the authors

Zhenhua Wang

Wang Zhenhua (b. 1959) is a full professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University 〈wzhenhua@sjtu.edu.cn〉. His research interests include systemic functional linguistics, appraisal theory, forensic linguistics, and discourse semantics. His publications include System, function, and appraisal (2007); “Analysis of conflicts over Obama's Peace Prize for 2009: Attitude perspective” (2010); “Analysis of the generic structure of Constitution of the People's Republic of China” (2012); J. R. Martin's contribution to systemic functional linguistics (2012).

Qingbin Zhang

Zhang Qingbin (b. 1984) is a PhD student at Shanghai Jiao Tong University 〈58304057@qq.com〉. His research interests include systemic functional linguistics, appraisal theory, and discourse analysis. His publications include “The activating condition for domain of ICM – ‘need’ ” (2010); “A cognitive approach to the new passive construction ‘bei+intransitive’ ” (2011); and “Interpersonal meaning of the modern Chinese ‘ge’ in its non-typical structure” (with Z. Wang, 2012).

Published Online: 2014-7-31

Published in Print: 2014-8-1

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/sem-2014-0020

Keywords for this article

judicial language; interpersonal meaning; appraisal; reconciliation