Chapter 1; Context

Overview
Context refers to the environment that surrounds the production and reception of the text.
Context is not a technique or feature, it simply exists around a text, influencing the
perspective and structure of the text.

Types of Contexts
Culture of production and context of reception
Context of production refers to the circumstances surrounding the composition of a text.
Includes:
• A creators world.
• A creators personal context.
• The medium for which the text was originally invented. e.g. article, what website it
was written under.
• The original purpose of a text.
Context of reception refers to the circumstances in which a text is received. Includes:
• Who might be reading it; target audience or not?
• How it is consumed; watched on television or in cinema?
• The purpose of why we read, reading for enjoyment, or reading for analysis?

Context of culture and context of situation

Context of culture is the culture of the society surrounding the text; can shape the way
attitudes naturalised in a text, or it can be front and centre, e.g. Animal Farm.
• Historical events.
• Geographical location.
• Social demographics.
• Religious influence.
• Cultural make-up.
• Ideological movements.
• Literal or cultural traditions.
• Political influences.
Context of situation refers to the immediate context of both the creator and its audience
• Personal context of the creator.
• Time, place, and medium of publication
• Immediate events surrounding the creation of the text.

Personal context
Personal context has a significant bearing on the nature of meaning either constructed in
the text through the author or inferred by the audience. It is not only the creators personal
context, but the context of each person who reads the text. Can be influenced by:
• Age
• Gender
• Ethnicity and cultural background
• Religious affiliation
• Sexual orientation
• Family make-up
• Economic status
• Health and physicality
• Educational background
• Past history

Questions to ask about context

When studying texts we must consider the following questions about the texts contexts:
• What is the context of production? When and where was the text created?
• Does the text reflect this context in its setting, or the time and place it represents?
• What broad social, cultural, political, and historical circumstances - the context of
culture - might be relevant to the texts production?
• Does the text explicitly respond to these circumstances? Or is their influence more
subtle, such as shaping the values and attitudes within the text?
• What were or are the immediate circumstances (the context of situation and the
personal context) of the creator of the text?
• What were or are the circumstances of the audience of the text - the context of
reception? This includes the personal contexts of individual audience members, as
well as their wider cultural contexts. How might these be relevant or important?
• How does your understanding of these contexts shape your response to the text?
Australian contexts
We tend to be more accustomed to our own contexts, so its harder to realise the elements
to them. It's important to realize that not all Australians are the same, and that Australia is
multicultural. This means that an "Australian context" can be different depending on the
person.
Avoid referring to an "Australian reader" within an analysis, as that can mean many
different things to different peoples with different perspectives.
e.g. Someone who may live in Australia may not like AFL, so it is wrong to define AFL as
appealing to a broad Australian context.
Some Australian contexts and factors that shape individual situations within these include:
• Historical contexts: Colonialism and convictism, Federation. the inter war period,
baby boom.
• Significant events: Gallipoli landing, the Mabo decision, the end of the White
Australian policy and the election of Australia's first women PM.
• Geographical contexts: Such as urban, suburban, coastal, inland, rural or remote
locations.
• Individual or group contexts: Gender, migrant, refugees, Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander or queer identities. Their experiences in Australia.

Writing about context

Be specific when writing about the context.
• Refer to when / where it was published. Also identify specific cultural factors.
(Audience of production.)
• Identify if the context of the subject matter is different from context of production.
• If the text responds to a particular event, give a brief overview of it.
• Provide relevant details about the creators personal context.
• Describe the intended audience of the text.
• If asked for a personal response, describe your own context and how it influenced
your interpretations.
• Avoid making generalized statements about contexts.
Comparing contexts
When comparing contexts we should ask the following questions:
• What beliefs, values, and attitudes are natural within these contexts. Are they
apposing or comparable?
• What events seem to have prompted the creation of each text, are the similar or
different?
• What are the different ways the text represents human nature?
• Do the texts explore similar ideas, or concerns; are they context specific?
• When comparing a texts context of production with your own, ask how both your
context and the authors context differs.
When comparing contexts avoid being judgemental of other contexts, especially if cultural.

Satire and context

Satire is a style of writing that directly addresses contexts. It uses humour to criticise
aspects of a particular cultural / situational contexts. One such example is political
cartoons.