Construing biology: An Ideational Perspective

Abstract

This thesis reports on a linguistic study that is concerned with building a discourse semantic framework for exploring knowledge building through language in undergraduate biology. The linguistic theory that underpins this study is systemic functional linguistics (SFL). One particular dimension of SFL, stratification, conceptualises register (field, tenor and mode) as being realised by patterns of discourse semantics, which are in turn realised by patterns of lexicogrammar. Of particular relevance to knowledge building, particularly to what social realism refers to as ‘knowledge structure’ (Bernstein, 1999), is the register variable field, which is construed through the patterns of ideational discourse semantics. The current modelling of ideational semantics, including the ‘ideation base’ proposed in Halliday & Matthiessen (1999) and the ideational discourse semantics established in Martin (1992), are currently insufficient for exploring the construal of field. On the one hand, Halliday & Matthiessen’s description of ideation base is not clearly dissociated from grammatical functions; on the other hand, Martin’s description of ideational discourse semantics is not independent from the description of field. Accordingly, in order to pursue systematically the construal of field, this study aims to develop discourse semantic systems that can take responsibility for both field and lexicogrammar and clarify the stratification relations among register, discourse semantics and lexicogrammar. The exploration of ideational discourse semantics is approached with respect to its construal of two aspects in field – taxonomy and activity sequencing (Martin, 1992). In order to illustrate the exploration of discourse semantic systems as well as demonstrate the analysis of texts through the framework, this study analyses texts that instantiate knowledge building in biology at the undergraduate level. This study makes two significant contributions. Firstly it contributes to the development of ideational discourse semantics in an SFL framework. In doing so it clarifies the interstratal relationships across field, discourse semantics and lexicogrammar, and it specifies distinctive terminologies at all strata. Secondly, this work provides a significant ground for exploring knowledge building of all kinds. By focusing on texts produced in undergraduate biology, it contributes to a linguistic understanding of scientific discourse, and points out key characteristics of knowledge building in biology at the undergraduate level.