Analysis of the rhetorical structure of the three text versions

To demonstrate the procedures used in analysing the text structure, a sample analysis of one of the three text versions used in this study – the problem- solution – is presented here. The analyses of the other two variants: causation

and the collection of description are contained in Appendices 3A and 3B respectively.

The first step in analysing text, based on content structure analysis, is to identify the signaling words of the text. Meyer (1975) indicates that signalling words are non-content aspects of the text and are not included in the content structure as they do not add any new information to the content structure. According to Meyer there are four major types of signaling:

1. pecification of the structure of relations in the content structure;

2. prematurely revealed information abstracted from content occurring later in the text;

3. summary statement; and 4. pointer words.

The underlined words in Figure 3.2 are identified as signaling. In the first sentences of the second and the third paragraphs, this signaling indicates that the discussion is presented with the form of a problem and solution

rhetorical structure concerning ideal and real cultures. In this case, the first sentence of the second paragraph represents the problem of the discrepancies between ideal and real cultures. The first sentence of the third paragraph, on the other hand, represents a solution of the discrepancies of ideal and real cultures. These two sentences represent a type of signaling known as prematurely revealed information abstracted from content occurring later in the text.

The underlined words on the other hand in the first and second paragraphs signal that the information will be presented in a comparison text structure. The words: in some instances and for example in the second paragraph signal that the information will be presented in an ‘explanation’ text structure. Therefore, this signaling type can be classified as specification of the structure of relation in the content structure. The words: it seems inherent in the second paragraph, and it would seem that in the third paragraph are signaling words that explicitly point the reader to the author’s perspective of particular ideas. Therefore, these signaling words can be classified as Pointer Words. The word thus appearing at the beginning of the last sentence of the second paragraph seems to be a signaling of a Summary Statement type.

Figure 3.2 The with-signalling version of the problem-solution text structure type

Culture has ideal and real aspects. Ideal culture is what people think their culture ought to be. Real culture, on the other hand, is what actually exists. The problem with this taxonomy is that in all cultures, there are frequent discrepancies between the two facets. In some instances, the people involved are hardly aware of differences, in other cases the difference may be heatedly debated. For example, most Americans believe their high of living standard affords them the best medical care available; yet, in reality many countries with a lower living standard have a lower infant mortality rate and a longer life expectancy. On the other hand, practically all Americans are aware that they subscribe to a standard of equality under the law although they recognise that some racial groups seldom receive equal treatment from the police or in court. It seems inherent in culture that many norms or rules are ideal only, that actual behaviour will never be the same. Thus, the discovery that real culture so frequently varies from ideal culture poses interesting theoretical problems and questions about the relationship and changeability of the two facets.

The solution to the problem of the discrepancies between ideal culture and real culture is the idea of norm which combines the concepts of both aspects. It would seem that what man does becomes fixed as norm and is held collectively by a group. What was done becomes what is right or correct. This ideal way becomes an important guideline and generally determines much of real behaviour. Even when the real behaviour begins to differ from the ideal, the norm may operate at a psychological level causing shame or guilt when there is deviation from them.

Because it does not add new content or relations to the text, all of the signaling was deleted from the rhetorical structure; however, the signaling in the first sentence in a paragraph cannot be omitted, because their deletion will result in the distortion of the meaning of the information in the text. To address this issue, the sentences require rewriting using the non-signaling information.

The second step was the rewriting of the without-signaling version using the non-signaled information as discussed above. After doing so, the without- signaling version of the problem-solution text was produced as shown in Figure 3.3.

Figure 3.3 The without-signaling version of the problem-solution text structure type

Frequent discrepancies between ideal and real culture (exist). Ideal culture is what people think their culture ought to be. Real culture is what actually exists. The people involved are hardly aware of differences, the difference may be heatedly debated. Most Americans believe their high standard of living affords them the best medical care available. Many countries with a lower living standard have a lower infant mortality rate and a longer life expectancy. Practically all Americans are aware that they subscribe to a standard of equality under the law although they recognise that some racial groups seldom receive equal treatment from the police or in court. In culture, many norms or rules are ideal only, the actual behaviour will never be the same. The difference poses interesting theoretical problems and questions about the relationship and changeability.

The idea of norm (exists). It (the idea of norm) is the combination of both cultural concepts. What man does becomes fixed as a norm and is held by a group collectively. What was done becomes what is right or correct. This ideal way becomes a guideline and generally determines much of real behaviour. It (the norm) may operate at psychological level causing shame or guilt.

The third step encompassed an analysis of the information within the without-signaling version of the problem-solution text structure type as shown in Figure 3.3. The text was analysed following top-bottom parsing procedures as shown in the tree diagram shown in Figure 3.4, below. The analyses of the other two text structure types are presented as Appendix 3A for causation and Appendix 3B for collection of description.

Figure 3.4 The rhetorical structure analysis of the problem-solution text structure type

RESPONSE, PROBLEM

EXPLANATION

Frequent discrepanciesbetweenidealandreal culture (exist)

COMPARISON ideal culture - ATTRIBUTION is

what people think their culture ought to be PATIENT real culture ATTRIBUTION is

what actually exists PATIENT

EVIDENCE COMPARISON the people involved

ATTRIBUTION

are hardly aware of

differences PATIENT the difference ATTRIBUTION EXPLANATION may be heatedly debated COMPARISON most Americans ATTRIBUTION ATTRIBUTION believe affords

their high standard of living AGENT

them the best medical care available PATIENT

many countries

with a lower living standard ATTRIBUTION have COLLECTION PATIENT

a lower infant mortality rate (and) a longer life expectancy all Americans ATTRIBUTION ATTRIBUTION are aware subscribe to they AGENT a standard of equality PATIENT SPECIFIC

under the law

practically

MANNER they (all Americans)

ATTRIBUTION ATTRIBUTION recognise seldom receive

some racial groups AGENT

PATIENT

equal treatment SPECIFIC

from the police or in court

EQUIVALENT COMPARISON many norms or rules

RANGE in culture ATTRIBUTION

(that) actual behaviour are ideal only

ATTRIBUTION

will never be the same

the difference ATTRIBUTION poses COLLECTION PATIENT

interesting theoretical problems (and) questions about

SPECIFIC COLLECTION the relationship (and) changeability

RESPONSE, SOLUTION the idea of norm

EXPLANATION it ATTRIBUTION is

the combination of both cultural concepts PATIENT

EXPLANATION COLLECTION what man does

ATTRIBUTION COLLECTION become fixed as norm MANNER (and) is held (by) a group AGENT collectively MANNER what was done

ATTRIBUTION

Becomes

what is right or correct PATIENT

EXPLANATION this ideal way

ATTRIBUTION COLLECTION becomes guide line PATIENT (and)determines Much of PATIENT real behaviour MANNER generally EQUIVALENT it (the norm) ATTRIBUTION may operate at psychological level PATIENT SPECIFIC causing shame or guilt

Key:

Words in lower case = content words from the text Underlinedwordsinlowercase = lexical predicates Underlined, small-capitalised

Small-capitalised words = Rhetorical Predicates = Roles

Finally, based on the rhetorical structure analysis shown above, the idea units of the without-signaling problem-solution text structure type were identified and are depicted in Table 3.6. The idea units of the other two text structure types are presented as Appendix 4A for causation and as Appendix 4B for

collection of description.

Table 3.6 The idea units of the without-signaling version of the problem- solution text

SERIAL LEVEL IDEA UNIT

1 1 frequent discrepancies between ideal and real culture 2 2 ideal culture

3 3 is

4 4 what people think their culture ought to be 5 2 real culture

6 3 is

7 4 what actually exists 8 2 the people involved 9 3 are hardly aware of 10 4 differences 11 2 the difference

12 3 may be heatedly debated 13 4 most Americans 14 5 believe

15 7 their high standard of living 16 6 affords

17 7 them the best medical care available 18 4 many countries

19 5 with a lower living standard 20 5 have

21 6 a lower infant mortality rate 22 6 (and) a longer life expectancy 23 7 practically 24 4 all Americans 25 5 are aware 26 7 (that) they 27 6 subscribe to 28 7 a standard of equality 29 8 under the law 30 4 they (all Americans) 31 5 recognise

32 7 (that) some racial groups 33 6 seldom perceive 34 7 equal treatment

35 8 from the police or in court 36 4 in culture

SERIAL LEVEL IDEA UNIT

37 3 many norms or rules 38 4 are ideal only 39 3 (that) actual behavior 40 4 Will never be the same 41 5 the difference 42 6 poses

43 7 interesting theoretical problems 44 7 (and) questions about

45 8 the relationship 46 8 (and) changeability 47 1 the idea of norm (exists) 48 2 it (the idea of norm)

49 3 is

50 4 the combination of both cultural concepts 51 5 what men does

52 6 becomes fixed 53 7 as norm 54 6 (and) is held 55 7 (by) a group 56 7 collectively 57 5 what was done 58 6 becomes

59 7 what is right or correct 60 8 this ideal way 61 9 becomes 62 10 guide line 63 10 (and) generally 64 9 determines

65 10 much of real behavior 66 3 it (the norm) 67 4 may operate at 68 5 psychological level 69 6 causing shame or guilt