| From the perspective of sociology, social class, status, role, psychologicaldistance can be marked by language. Studies on interpersonal meaning constitute oneimportant part in discourse analysis. Halliday studies interpersonal meaning based onMood and Modality system. J. Martin proposed Appraisal theory which provides aframework for the research of how to express stance, attitude and viewpoint.This paper defines nurses’ reflection as the comment on the nursing made byregistered nurses, involving relations between nurses and their related parties, nurses’public image and nurses’ profession concept. In the framework of Appraisal theory itconducts a qualitative analysis of reflections made by dozens of American nurses withan aim to explore the relationship between the deployment of appraisal resources andinterpersonal meaning.Through the analysis of invoked and inscribed appraisal resources, engagementresources and graduation resources, this paper identifies three interpersonal meaningsrealized in nurses’ reflection, namely, alienation owing to the power asymmetry,negotiation with the outside voice and establishment of solidarity in society. To bespecific, invoked appraisal resources and negative attitude resources etc. are adopted toimply the alienation. Engagement resources, especially the heteroglossia, are deployedto negotiate. While graduation resources functions as an adjustment of the volume ofproposition for establishing solidarity.Interpersonal meanings discussed in this paper help the public understand theself-evaluation American nurses made on nursing. Such understanding offers thepossibility of improving nurses’ public image, stimulating nurses’ intrinsic motivationand promoting nursing’s development to some extent. |
