© 2000 voice in the wilderness symbolically exchanging nothing the power of language bruce a....

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

Symbolically Exchanging

Nothing

The Power of Language

Bruce A. Peterson

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

Language is Symbolic

• We use symbols to communicate• We create symbols-symbols create us• We trade symbols• We misuse symbols• Meaning is in people not in words

© 2000 Voice in the WildernessCommunication Process

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

Trading Symbols

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

Symbolic InteractionHumans Trade Symbols

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

Triangle of Meaning*

User

Thing(Referent)

Word(Symbol)

*Ogden & Richards

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

0

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

Kenneth Burke’s HumanBeing bodies that learn language

thereby becoming wordlings

humans are

the symbol-making, symbol-using, symbol-misusing animal

inventor of the negative

separated from our natural condition

by instruments of our our own making

goaded by the spirit of hierarchy

acquiring the foreknowledge of death

and rotten with perfection.

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

humans are the

symbol-using, symbol-misusing animal

inventor of the negative

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

Noun to be

it is

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

Verbto do

do

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

nothing

(do)

+ action

= GUILT

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

to do

what

with

GUILT

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

do

who

you

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

nothing+ action =

GUILT

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

Created

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

the power

the negative

of

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

© 2000 Voice in the WildernessCommunication Process

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

humans are thehumans are the

symbolsymbol--using, using, symbolsymbol--misusing misusing animalanimal

inventor of inventor of the negativethe negative

© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

Triangle of Meaning*

User

Thing(Referent)

Word(Symbol)

*Ogden & Richards© 2000 Voice in the Wilderness

nothing+ action =