Introduction to Appraisal Theory

Appraisal Theory, as detailed in Susan Hood's chapter in The Cambridge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (2019), provides a comprehensive framework for understanding evaluative meaning within Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). Situated as one of the systems of interpersonal meaning at the stratum of discourse semantics, Appraisal Theory enables the exploration of how speakers and writers express attitudes, judgments, and emotions to construct relationships and social identities.

The Three Main Systems of Appraisal Theory

Appraisal Theory is divided into three main systems: Attitude, Engagement, and Graduation. Each system offers a unique lens for analyzing different aspects of evaluative language.

1. Attitude

The system of Attitude is concerned with the expression of feelings, social evaluation, and the valuation of things. It is divided into three subcategories:

Affect

Affect concerns emotions and feelings. It includes:

Un/happiness: Emotions related to joy or sadness, such as "miserable" or "ecstatic."
Dis/satisfaction: Emotions related to fulfillment or frustration, such as "disappointed" or "content."
In/security: Emotions related to safety or anxiety, such as "suspicious" or "assured."
Dis/inclination: Emotions related to desire or aversion, such as "fearful" or "longing."

Judgment

Judgment deals with the assessment of people’s behavior according to social norms. It includes:

Social Esteem: Judgments about normality, capacity, and tenacity, such as "brave" or "incompetent."
Social Sanction: Judgments about veracity and propriety, such as "honest" or "deceitful."

Appreciation

Appreciation involves the evaluation of things, including natural phenomena, artifacts, and texts. It includes:

Reaction: Evaluations based on the impact or quality of an entity, such as "fascinating" or "boring."
Composition: Evaluations based on the complexity or balance of an entity, such as "complex" or "harmonious."
Valuation: Evaluations based on the significance or worth of an entity, such as "exceptional" or "insignificant."

2. Engagement

The system of Engagement addresses how speakers or writers position themselves in relation to other voices and viewpoints in a discourse. It distinguishes between monoglossic (single-voiced) and heteroglossic (multi-voiced) texts:

Monoglossia: Propositional claims offer no space for alternative viewpoints, presenting assertions as unchallenged facts.

Heteroglossia: This involves the inclusion and negotiation of different voices and perspectives within a text. It includes:

Expand: Options for opening up space for alternative viewpoints, such as through modality (e.g., "it might be the case") or attribution (e.g., "it is suggested that").
Contract: Options for closing down space for alternative viewpoints, such as through negation (e.g., "it is not true that") or counter-expectancy (e.g., "although it seems").

3. Graduation

The system of Graduation concerns the scaling of meanings, either by intensifying or softening the expression of Attitude and Engagement. It is divided into two main types:

Force

This involves adjusting the intensity of an evaluative meaning. It includes:

Intensification: Adjusting the degree of a quality or process, such as "very important" or "rigorously investigated."
Quantification: Adjusting the amount or extent of an entity, such as "many studies" or "a sizeable volume of literature."

Focus

This involves adjusting the sharpness of categorical boundaries. It includes:

Sharpening: Making a category more defined, such as "a true father" or "absolute misery."
Softening: Making a category less defined, such as "a sort of pleasure" or "vaguely relevant."

Appraisal Theory, as elaborated by Susan Hood in The Cambridge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics, provides a robust framework for analyzing evaluative language. By examining Attitude, Engagement, and Graduation, researchers can gain deeper insights into how language constructs relationships, identities, and social dynamics. This introduction serves as a gateway to more detailed explorations and applications of Appraisal Theory in various domains of language study.

Reference:
Hood, S. (2019). Appraisal. In G. Thompson, W. L. Bowcher, L. Fontaine, & D. Schönthal (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 382-409). Cambridge University Press. DOI: 10.1017/9781316337936.017.