Culture, Words and Understanding

Bibliographic Data

ID2390655
AuthorsMichael Bamberg (Clark University, corresponding author)
Year1997
Volume3
Issue2
Pages183-194
Publication date1997-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCulture & Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1354-067X • E-ISSN: 1461-7056
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1354067x9700300205
OpenAlexW1977927415
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited21

Goddard's (1997) comparative analysis of English and Malay surprise words is critically evaluated. While his major aim to overcome ethnocentric semantic comparisons is generally laudable, the methodological tool in the form of a universal inventory of lexical items is argued to prove unable to perform this job. First, in its explication of surprise scenarios, the natural semantic metalanguage falls short of delivering more or better insights than traditional interpretative approaches to human actions and texts. Second, the discursive orientations and perspectives within which emotion terms are put to use in actual talk are washed out. Consequently, in order to achieve some richer understanding of emotion terms, particularly those of a foreign language, fuller contours of emotion talk need to be taken into account

Cognitive psychology · Ethnocentrism · Expatriate · Explication · Linguistics · Surprise · Computer Science · Emotions and Moral Behavior · History · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Psychology

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub