La contextualisation : un problème étique ?

Abstract

Properly describing the meaning of a term or a statement, often involves using co-text or context. Linguists must then resort to authentic corpora and propose contextualization procedures. This approach, which can rightly be described as etic, is far from sufficient. One needs to take into account the strategies of contextualization and recontextualization by the speakers themselves, undoubtedly linked to metalinguistic and metapragmatic competence. Contextualization is therefore also an emic issue. Based on an ethnographic fieldwork conducted in a theatre, including the audiovisual recording of theatre rehearsals, this article explores the situations when actors/actresses and stage directors, facing issues around texts’ interpretation, rely on contextualization. By reviewing the emergence of contextualization practices, the author emphasizes their collective dimension.

Keywords

• contextualisation
• contextualisation cues
• conversation analysis
• (participation) frame
• emic
• etic