An author’s structural intentions – 79
But the major one seems to become clearer in (8). Here ‘social distance’
is defined in terms of class stratification. The greater the degree of
class stratification within the two minority groups, Jews and Muslims, the greater the chance of cultural interaction with Christians,
i.e. higher-class members of the minority group interacted more, and
since Jewish society was more stratified than Muslim society the cultural interaction between Jews and Christians was greater. This, then,
seems to be the theorising that informs much of the rest of the
essay – including a conjecture (‘more than likely’) about strictures on the interchange of scientific knowledge in the final sentence
of (10) – and which is restated at the end of (12).
From this kind of reading it should be clear to you that the
various modes of analysis interact in quite complex ways, not only
amongst themselves but also with the major motives examined in the
previous section. What is also critical to realise is that the kind of language used above in dealing with an author’s motives and analytical
intentions is the kind of language, suitably modified, that should find
its way into the essay you are preparing to write. That is to say, when
you are taking notes, you should try to cast them in something like
the form used above – in terms of what the authors of your sources
are doing.
6
An author’s structural intentions
The structure of a book is studied by identifying its parts, clarifying
the relations between those parts, and understanding the relations
between the parts and the whole. The book, as we have seen, will
have an overall controlling motive, which is broken down into parts
which are usually expressed in chapters which relate to each other in
various ways as well as to that overall motive. Similarly, the chapter
will have a governing motive, to which its parts – sections, subsections
and paragraphs – will contribute. Paragraphs, and even sentences,
can also demonstrate these same principles of structure. One of the
difficulties of reading any moderately complex work is that of holding
together in your mind the very general points whilst simultaneously
keeping straight the variety of its detail. Sometimes, there might be
But the major one seems to become clearer in (8). Here ‘social distance’
is defined in terms of class stratification. The greater the degree of
class stratification within the two minority groups, Jews and Muslims, the greater the chance of cultural interaction with Christians,
i.e. higher-class members of the minority group interacted more, and
since Jewish society was more stratified than Muslim society the cultural interaction between Jews and Christians was greater. This, then,
seems to be the theorising that informs much of the rest of the
essay – including a conjecture (‘more than likely’) about strictures on the interchange of scientific knowledge in the final sentence
of (10) – and which is restated at the end of (12).
From this kind of reading it should be clear to you that the
various modes of analysis interact in quite complex ways, not only
amongst themselves but also with the major motives examined in the
previous section. What is also critical to realise is that the kind of language used above in dealing with an author’s motives and analytical
intentions is the kind of language, suitably modified, that should find
its way into the essay you are preparing to write. That is to say, when
you are taking notes, you should try to cast them in something like
the form used above – in terms of what the authors of your sources
are doing.
6
An author’s structural intentions
The structure of a book is studied by identifying its parts, clarifying
the relations between those parts, and understanding the relations
between the parts and the whole. The book, as we have seen, will
have an overall controlling motive, which is broken down into parts
which are usually expressed in chapters which relate to each other in
various ways as well as to that overall motive. Similarly, the chapter
will have a governing motive, to which its parts – sections, subsections
and paragraphs – will contribute. Paragraphs, and even sentences,
can also demonstrate these same principles of structure. One of the
difficulties of reading any moderately complex work is that of holding
together in your mind the very general points whilst simultaneously
keeping straight the variety of its detail. Sometimes, there might be