DOCTORAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Language Socialization from Modality to Morality

本论文的主要目的是探讨语言社会化与道德社会化之间的关系。更具体地说，本研究采用话语语法和语言人类学的方法来研究(a)道德概念和实践的文化社会化和(b)情态和抽象隐喻的语言社会化之间的相互依存关系。这项研究的文化社会化部分始于最近对前额叶皮层的神经学研究，该研究表明，从10岁左右到至少15岁，是社会和道德发展的敏感时期。这些研究还表明，我们发展的特定的社会和道德价值观和实践取决于我们与社区中其他人的身体和社会互动；这种互动也可以理解为一种充分体现的社会化过程。这项研究的语言学部分开始于语言学研究人员最近的发现，这些发现似乎表明，一个“完整”情态系统的成熟发展是随着时间和经验而发生的，至少要到9岁才能达到完全成熟，但可能远远超过12岁。基于神经学和语言学的研究结果，本研究项目以以下假设为指导，即实际上存在着一种直接而重要的协同作用：(a)道德价值观和实践的文化社会化；(b)情态的语言社会化是一个由道义、认识论和条件构成的复杂系统；(c)抽象隐喻的文化和语言社会化，以整合道德价值观和实践的认知、行为和语言表达。研究对象的年龄范围为11-14岁；活动包括动作和言语。数据收集侧重于自然发生的课堂和排练活动的录像。视频数据将被数字化，转录和微分析动作和语音。语言分析将研究使用了什么模态和隐喻形式，它们如何一起使用以形成高度复杂的符号系统，以及这种模态系统的语言社会化如何与同一社区成员之间的社会和道德概念和实践的社会化相关联。

The primary goal of this dissertation project is to investigate the relationship between the socialization of language and the socialization of morality. More particularly, this study takes a discourse-grammar and linguistic anthropology approach to investigating the interdependent relationship between (a) the cultural socialization of moral concepts and practices and (b) the language socialization of modality and abstract metaphors.The cultural socialization part of this study begins with recent findings by neurological studies of the prefrontal cortex which indicate that there is a sensitive period for the development of social and moral development from around 10 to at least 15 years of age. These studies also indicate that the particular social and moral values and practices we develop depend on physical and social interaction with others in our community; this interaction can also be understood as a kind of fully embodied socialization process. The linguistic part of this study begins with less recent and much more meager findings by linguistic researchers that seem to indicate that the mature development of a "full" modal system occurs over time and with experience, and does not reach full maturity until at least the age of nine but probably well beyond the age of 12. Based on both the neurological and linguistic findings, this research project is guided by the hypothesis that there is in fact a direct and important synergy which is taking place between (a) the cultural socialization of moral values and practices; (b) the linguistic socialization of modality as a complex system of deontics, epistemics and conditionals; and (c) the cultural and linguistic socialization of abstract metaphors in order to integrate cognitive, behavioral and linguistic expressions of moral values and practices.Subject ages for the study range from 11-14; activities include movement as well as speech. Data collection focuses on the videotaping of naturally occurring classroom and rehearsal activities. Video data will be digitized, transcribed and micro-analyzed for movement as well as speech. Linguistic analysis will examine what modal and metaphorical forms are used, how they are used together to form a highly complex semiotic system, and how the linguistic socialization of this modal system is related to the socialization of social and moral concepts and practices among members of the same community.