This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Contextualization is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
Contextualization has more than one meaning.
Contents |
Sociolinguistics
Contextualization is a word first used in sociolinguistics to refer to the use of language and discourse to signal relevant aspects of an interactional or communicative situation. Basil Bernstein (1990) uses (re)contextualization when referring to the reformulation of scientific knowledge in pedagogical contexts, for instance in textbooks. John Gumperz (1982a, 1982b) and others in interactional sociolinguistics study subtle 'contextualization cues', for instance intonation, that allow language users to infer contextually adequate meanings of discourse (see also Eerdmans, Prevignano & Thibault, 2002).
References
- Bernstein, B. (1990). Class, codes and control. Vol. IV. The structuring of pedagogic discourse. London: Routledge.
- Eerdmans, S., Prevignano, C., & Thibault, P. (2002). Language and interaction. Discussions with J. J. Gumperz. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
- Gumperz, J. J. (1982). Discourse strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Gumperz, J. J. (Ed.). (1982). Language and social identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Website
- Interactional Sociolinguistics. Useful links: http://personal.cityu.edu.hk/~enrodney/Interact/links.htm
Bible translation
Contextualization is also used in the study of Bible translations in relation to their relevant cultural settings. It was adopted formally by a gathering of scholars in the Theological Education Fund (TEF) [1] in its mandate to communicate the Gospel and Christian teachings in cultures which had not previously experienced them. Prior to the use of the word contextualization many cross-cultural linguists, anthropologists and missionaries had been involved in such communication approaches such as in accommodating the message or meanings to another cultural setting.
The word continues to be used theologically, mainly in the sense of contextualising the biblical message as perceived in the mandate originated by Jesus in the gospel accounts. However, since the early 1970s, the word's meaning has widened. It is now used by secular, religious and political groups to render their message into different settings by adjusting or accommodating words, phrases or meanings into understandable contexts in respondent cultures.
Contextualisation in practice
An individual may espouse a particular worldview within a context of his or her knowledge and understanding, background, and culture: for instance, a Muslim may hold a monotheistic view of God within the context of his religion. Contextualisation addresses the question of whether that monotheistic God is the same as the monotheistic God within another religion, e.g. Judaism.
In order to enable ideas to be compared across the boundaries of different faiths, a whole series of religious terms will be needed to be contextualised as part of the flow of knowledge from one to the other.
See also
References
External links
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 3 April 2008, at 07:24.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Contextualization".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.