Rethinking The Individuation Of Field Tenor And Mode

Doran, Martin & Herrington (2024: 214-5):

One component of this model we have not commented on in detail here is that of individuation (Martin 2010). This dimension focuses on how language varies within a community, from the entire reservoir of meanings in a language community, to the individual repertoire of a person. In so doing, it considers how different language resources are distributed across different segments of society (allocation) and how people use language to come together and build community (affiliation). 

Viewed from individuation, field, tenor, and mode can be considered perspectives on arenas and domains of variation, contestation, and collaboration. 

For example, from the perspective of tenor, we can consider domains of sociality, such as the specific social relationships and the variation inherent in how they are managed. … From this perspective, we could also consider the sets of values at play in particular domains (what Maton [2014] calls axiological constellations) and how they organise people into different communities (e.g. Doran 2020a, 2020b). 

From the perspective of field, we can consider domains of experience, such as the specific disciplines in school that much SFL education work has devoted itself to, including the sets of knowledge that underpin them (what Maton [2014] calls epistemological constellations). 

From the perspective of mode, we can consider domains of affordance, such as the media and channels that constrain and enable our possibilities for communication.

Reviewer Comments:

[1] To be clear, if individuation is a scale of variation from the reservoir of meanings of a language community to the repertoires of meanings of individuals, then its organising principle is one of elaboration. This is a distinct dimension from the different dimensions of  allocation and affiliation, both of which are organised in terms of extension (association). See Halliday & Matthiessen (1999: 145-6).

[2] To be clear, applied to context, individuation is a scale of variation from the reservoir of context potential of a language community to the repertoires of context potential of individuals.

[3] To be clear, applied to tenor, individuation is a scale of variation from the reservoir of tenor potential of a language community to the repertoires of tenor potential of individuals.

[4] To be clear, applied to field, individuation is a scale of variation from the reservoir of field potential of a language community to the repertoires of field potential of individuals.

[5] To be clear, applied to mode, individuation is a scale of variation from the reservoir of mode potential of a language community to the repertoires of mode potential of individuals.