RT list: Intercultural Pragmatics

 
Hi there!

I have found out that there's a conference on INTERCULTURAL PRAGMATICS at the Autónoma (MAdrid) next November, where D. Wilson is scheduled to appear. I am absolutely baffled by the modifier "intercultural" applied to the term "pragmatics".

To me it is as if you were telling me that there's an intercultural Arithmetics Conference in which we may distinguish the addition of 2vodkas+2vodkas which give the result of 4vodkas and the addition of 2whiskies+2whiskies which results in 4whiskies. And what a cultural difference it would be, would it not, if you were in the Andalusian culture and you had 2gazpachos + 2gazpachos = 4gazpachos (although you may also have 2sherries +2sherries = 4sherries, of course!!).

Totally absurd if you see it from my point of view!

I must be missing something, I know. I wish I was free at that November date to have a look at what contributors have to say. But unluckily I am not free, and I would like to be made aware, if possible, of where and how I am blundering in my interpretation.

Thanks!

José Luis Guijarro
Facultad de Filosofía y Letras
Universidad de Cádiz
11002 Cádiz, España (Spain)
tlf: (34) 956-011.613
fax: (34) 956-015.505
Received on Thu Oct 7 12:25:00 2010