The Metafunctional And Stratal Misunderstandings Behind 'Mass'

Doran, Martin & Herrington (2024: 199):

Responding to Maton’s characterisation of semantic density as involving ‘formal definitions, empirical descriptions or feelings, political sensibilities, taste, values, morals, affiliations’, we have revisited work on technicality in an effort to broaden SFL’s conception of specialised knowledge. 

In terms of SFL’s concept of metafunction this means extending the focus on ideational meaning to include interpersonal and textual perspectives as well. As noted above, taken together, the contributions from the different metafunctions are referred to as mass (introduced in Martin [2017] and further elaborated with respect to the analysis of infographics in Martin and Unsworth [2024]).

Reviewer Comments:

[1] To be clear, in taking a 'language-based approach to cognition', SFL models 'knowledge' as meaning. Halliday & Matthiessen (1999: ix-x):

It seems to us that our dialogue is relevant to current debates in cognitive science. In one sense, we are offering it as an alternative to mainstream currents in this area, since we are saying that cognition "is" (that is, can most profitably be modelled as) not thinking but meaning: the "mental" map is in fact a semiotic map, and "cognition" is just a way of talking about language. In modelling knowledge as meaning, we are treating it as a linguistic construct: hence, as something that is construed in the lexicogrammar. Instead of explaining language by reference to cognitive processes, we explain cognition by reference to linguistic processes.

[2] To be clear,  this "extension" of the focus on ideational meaning misunderstands SFL’s concept of metafunction. To paraphrase Halliday (2003 [1995]: 414-5):

• the ideational metafunction is the function of language in construing experience as meaning;
• the interpersonal metafunction is the function of language in enacting social relations as meaning; and
• the textual metafunction is the function of language in creating the flow of information.

In this model, ideational meaning does not "include contributions" from interpersonal and textual "perspectives", any more than the TRANSITIVITY system of the clause "includes contributions" from interpersonal and textual "perspectives". MOOD and THEME are Interpersonal and textual "perspectives", but on the clause, not on the ideational wording of the clause.

[3] To be clear, defining 'mass' in terms of the meaning of language and locating it in the contextual parameter of field is a contradiction in terms.