Analysis of Ideational and Textual Meaning - Literature review Example

Institution: Ideational and Textual Meanings Name: Date: Instructor: Ideational and Textual Meanings Introduction The essay involves a discourse analysis that engages in the process of analysis and interpretation of a particular discourse that was published through the social media. Therefore the article of analysis involves a newspaper publication with a title “Fukushima, a year on: 3,000 workers take on the twisted steel radiation” as reported by McCurry and published by the Guardian Weekly dated Tuesday, 28th February, 2012. The main objective of the analysis involves the application of the discourse analysis instruments so as to widen the comprehension in terms of ideational and textual meanings of particular text. Hence the paper emphasizes on two major constituents of discourse structures. The essay commences with the analysis of the ideation component within a discourse system. It emphasizes on the various contents of the discourse in relation to the types of actions that symbolize the experience and ways through which the participants are engaged in the actions. It is then followed by the discussion of periodicity constituent that symbolize the consistency of the data flow through the unfolding of the text (Martin & White 2005). In addition more details in relation to analysis of the text in form of tables are done at the appendix segment in order to fully illustrate precise ideas that have been made. Theoretical Background Martin and Rose (2007) argues that the process of ideation is mainly concerned with ways through which experiences is interpreted within a discourse. Thus it emphasizes on the categorization of actions, the individuals and the things that are involved in them. In addition their linkage with places and qualities and the process through which these aspects are build up and connected to one another in the process of unfolding text. Therefore its main focus involves the happenings and the involved aspects together with the circumstances (Martin & Rose 2007). The process of ideation involves the association between the varied lexical aspects within the text that can be classified into taxonomic associations, nuclear relations and action order. In this case the taxonomic associations involves the chains of linkages between the aspects in a text and the taxonomic associations that can be sub classified into recurrence, substitutes, comparison, class and part. These components are regarded as what builds up individuals and things within a text of a discourse. Nuclear associations are therefore concerned with the linkages between actions, individuals, objects, spaces and qualities. According to Hood (2013) the idea of field in ideation implication is constituted of order of activities that comprise of individuals, objects, places and qualities (Hood, 2013). In addition another important aspect of discourse systems involves periodicity that regards information flow within a particular text. Thus the information track can be considered as theme or new. Furthermore the flow of information can be stimulated to hyper theme and hyper new at a passage level. It can further be upgraded into macro-theme and macro-new within the level of a text (Hood, 2013). Ideation The ideation meaning within discourse analysis comprises of happenings, partakers and circumstances. In relation to the publication in this essay the author began the discourse through the process of description of objects and entities within the evacuation zone that was experienced as a result of Fukushima earthquake. The author therefore engaged in the use of taxonomic dealings of ideation that controlled within the text in order to make descriptions of the happenings. The author of the publication utilized varied types of taxonomic linkages within the text. For instance within the publication; “a small portion of the many thousands who have joined the mission to save the plant from an from an even greater catastrophe. In this case the small portion symbolizes co-part and the many thousands indicate part. In addition the author engaged in the utilization of contrast taxonomic linkages within the text in the process of making descriptions in relation to the mission in the building site of the reactor. The contrast is evident within the text, “only the mission here is not to rebuild but dismantle.” Therefore the two contrasts involved the process of rebuilding and dismantling as used in the text within the publication. In relation to the varied kinds of processes in the discourse, “Cars lie abandoned and groceries sit untouched, Fukushima Daiichi covers a huge swath of land stretching from its hilltop entrance. In this case lie, sit and stretching are regarded as examples of happenings while soars as involved in the radiation of cars . . . is an example of processes. In addition the mangled nuclear plant is considered as an example of a happening process. In relation to the circumstances involving the processes, the types of circumstances can be in terms of time, place, matter or role. For instance the text “while the temperatures inside the reactor have stayed below the required boiling point”, The circumstances involve a place that is the interior of the reactor while the temperatures is regarded as an on process in form of a type. Furthermore the image that is presented in the publication discourse is considered to possess an ideational type of meaning. In relation to participants, it depicts the workers together with the other workers image in the background with protective gear (gloves, suites and masks). The process within the image of the publication involves the attempt to protect the nuclear reactor plant from the occurrence of a greater form of disaster. The circumstances within the caption image presented are the interior of the Fukushima nuclear plant’s emergency process Centre. Hence the meanings that are generated involve the unceasing activities within the evacuation zone involving risk and danger (Hood, 2010). Textual Meaning In this section of the discourse analysis the main emphasis will be on the waves of information within a clause in a textured in. In addition the text will provide the theme and fresh form of information within the sentences and structured in a way that it will follow form and periodicity after theme to form a fresh hyper theme and hyper new to macro theme and macro new. For instance within the following sentence “the remains of the reactors are some distance away when you first notice the sheer destruction of Japan’s nuclear disaster”. In this case the remains of the reactor is considered as a theme while are still some distance away is regarded as the new theme within the sentence. In addition another example involves the sentence “there are few signs of 3,000 workers on site” the sentence therefore is used as a representation of a hypertheme that presents the reader with an idea in relation to the next expectations. Therefore the hypertheme involves the constitution of sequence of theme and fresh type of information in relation to the second theme. Thus the title of the discourse that is “Fukushima, a year on: 3000 workers take on the twisted steel and radiation, the title of the publication is further considered as a macrotheme that presents the readers with ides to expect within the text as its involves a lot of hyperthemes in the text . These hyperthemes include “as the remains of the reactors are still some distance away…, most of the building that lie inside the 20km nuclear zones” among other examples (Iedema et.al 1994). Conclusion In conclusion the essay of discourse analysis emphasized on the understanding national ad analysis of both ideational and textual meanings of a publication within a social media context in order to make it easier for readers to comprehend the various types of meanings behind the clause and therefore assists the readers in following the events within the discourse. Hence the author of the publication commenced the process of the discourse through the description of entities and journey to the site (Fukushima) that had experience the earthquake. In addition the author further described the entities in the evacuation zone where the disaster was experienced. Furthermore the author engaged in the description of the various processes that were undertaken for the purpose of minimization of risk of the nuclear radiation within the Fukushima plant. Thus the analysis through the analysis varied types of entities was pointed out in form of participants, processes/happenings and the circumstances within the particular type of text. Through the analysis it was evident that the author of the publication made accomplishments in terms of information flow within the text and the themes whereby new form of information was generated in the text logically and smoothly to the readers in form of hypertheme, macrotheme, hypernew and macronew. List of References Hood, S , 2010 , Analyzing discourse as textual meaning: periodicity and identification in Discourse Analysis, Learning Guide, University of Technology Sydney , Faculty of Arts and Social science, pp. 1-23 Hood S 2011, Theoretical tools for analyzing discourse as ideational meaning in Discourse Analysis, Learning Guide, University of Technology, Sydney Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, pp.1-33 Iedema, R , Feez , S and White, P, 1994, Analyzing Media Texts in Literacy in Industry research project: stage two :media literacy, Disadvantaged Schools 'Program, NSW , Department of School Education , Erskineville, NSW,pp. 67-137 Martin, J.R. and White, P.R, 2005, The Language of Evaluation, Appraisal in English, ,Palgrave/MacMillan, Basingstoke Martin, J.R.and Rose, D, 2007, working with Discourse: meaning beyond the clause, Continuum, London. Martin, J.R, 2008 , Boomer dreaming : the texture of decolonization in a lifestyle magazine, In G.Forey and G.Thompson (eds) Text type and texture, pp 252-284 , Equinox, London Appendices Appendix 1: Table 1 Sentences Nuclear reactors Events Impacts Journey locations Buildings People Things 1.Orientation Remains of reactors Nuclear disaster 2.Observation Nuclear crisis Journey Towns and villages Residents 3.Observation Homes, shops and roads 4.Comment Buildings Violent seismic shifts A magnitude 9.0 earthquake The 20km nuclear evacuation zone Homes Grands wooden 5. catastrophe workers Signs, plants 6. Radiactive water Reactors flooded Tanks, basements 7. Temperatures The reactors is below boiling point Radiation too high Some areas workers 8. Tsunami Japan, north-east coast 9. radiation The utility map 10. Fukushima Daiichi Removal of debris by waves 11. reactors buildings Avert 12. Fukushima ditch centre workers Plant, hose, alarm 13. Nuclear fuel reactors Remove melted nuclear from reactors Tepco, computer screen, plant’s emergency room 14. 15. Top company’s headquarters Voices rarely rise Tokyo Large screen, wall, room 16. Fukushima Daiichi Deserted Deserted communities Civic 17. 18. Nuclear power Visitors, Kanesaki Plant, Tepco 19. Fukushima Tomioka homes Saori Kanesaki, guided visitors 20. Reactors Rocks separate the water from exposed ocean buildings Seawall, piles, mesh, rocks, turbine 21. Fukushima Daiichi Stretching from hilltop to the coast Tsunami quake Coast, ashore Huge swath 22. Reading soar to 35 micro Sieverts/hours Okuma homes Residents, former homes Plant’s perimeter, decades, remain 23. Radiation rise Evacuative zone, public office, Tokyo electric power owner plant 24. Explosion Visitors invisible foe Beeping monitors and radiation 25. Nuclear plant Insidious and collapsed Destruction Nuclear plant Guardian witnessed Roof and tarmac 26. Fukushima Explosion Town of Navara Convenience groceries store Supermarkets Car parks owners 27. Radiation rise Evacuative zone, public office, Tokyo electric power Owner Plant 28. Appendix 2: Table 2 Agent Process Goal Circumstance You notice The distraction on a rare trip To the nuclear plant Visitors Beeping monitors Everywhere to the invisible foe which is radiation Disused public Radiation level rise To the plant’s owner workers Coiled pipes To feed and recycle coolant to the damaged reactors workers Small portion To save the world from disaster Them Suffer a hydrogen explosion The vinyl shroud covering the no.1 reactor To the south of the site Fukushima Daiichi Land stretching, roared ashore Reactors, Tsunami To the coast Residents, former homes Reading soar Appendix 3 Ideation Analysis Red: Processes Blue: Participants Green: Circumstances The Guardian Weekly Tuesday 28 Feb 2012 Headline Fukushima, a year on: 3,000 workers take on the twisted steel and radiation Byline Justin McCurry in Fukushima Caption Workers keep well protected inside the Fukushima nuclear plant's emergency operation centre. Photograph: Reuters Orientation The remains of the reactors are (processes, being) still some distance away when you first notice the sheer destruction of Japan's nuclear disaster. The journey into the heart of the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl begins in the towns and villages that exist in name only, their residents having been (processes, having) sent fleeing a year ago. Observation Homes and shops lie empty; the roads are deserted (happening). In the town of Naraha, groceries sit untouched (happening) on the shelves of a convenience store; a handful of cars punctuate a supermarket car park, abandoned by their owners amid the panic that followed (happening) the first explosion at one of the Fukushima Daiichi plant's reactor buildings. Most of the buildings that lie just inside the (20km) nuclear evacuation zone – even the grand wooden homes – withstood (behaving) the violent seismic shifts unleashed(happening) by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake on the afternoon of 11 March. Comment But, as the Guardian witnessed on a rare trip to the nuclear plant, the destruction is more insidious than collapsed roofs and ruptured tarmac. Almost everywhere, beeping monitors alert visitors to the invisible foe: radiation. Appendix 4 Textual Analysis Blue Theme Blue bold: hyper theme Blue italic: Macro theme Red: new Red Bold: hyper new Red italic: macro new Orientation The remains of the reactors are still some distance away when you first notice the sheer destruction of Japan's nuclear disaster. The journey into the heart of the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl begins in the towns and villages that exist in name only, their residents having been sent fleeing a year ago. Observation Homes and shops lie empty, the roads are deserted. (Hyper theme) In the town of Naraha, groceries sit untouched on the shelves of a convenience store; a handful of cars punctuate a supermarket carpark, abandoned by their owners amid the panic that followed the first explosion at one of the Fukushima Daiichi plant's reactor buildings. Most of the buildings that lie just inside the (20km) nuclear evacuation zone – even the grand wooden homes – withstood the violent seismic shifts unleashed by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake on the afternoon of 11 March. Comment But, as the Guardian witnessed on a rare trip to the nuclear plant, the destruction is more insidious than collapsed roofs and ruptured tarmac. Almost everywhere, beeping monitors alert visitors to the invisible foe: radiation. Read More