Talk:Meta-communication

No merge
This article should not be merged with metalanguage, because language and communication are not the same. Solejheyen (talk) 11:50, 25 January 2010 (UTC)


 * I agree. In terms of similar concepts, meta-communication in the sense of Bateson & Ruesch is probably better grouped with framing (histories of communication studies often group them as related, anyway). There may be other concepts going under the same name, though; the German article on the subject doesn't seem to be discussing the Bateson & Ruesch version. --Delirium (talk) 19:24, 13 March 2011 (UTC)


 * I agree, but while language and communication might not be the same the differtences between meta-language and meta-communication are not at all clear to me. Russell's type theory seems to me to embrace both and provide overarching meta-framework LookingGlass (talk) 23:02, 6 November 2011 (UTC)

Overhauled and expanded
I have just completed a major overhaul and edit of the article to provide an introduction, historical development of the concept and references. While I "agree" that metalanguage and metacommunication are different I think the overlaps of their foundational concepts are not, unless this is made so by definition, which currently it does not appear to be. For example: while Panini's work may not directly refer to meta-communication the context of it I think does and so can justifiably be seen as a precursor or modern Western studies of the subject. It is not possible I suggest to drive at a universal system of language without being cognisant of the role of context of that language. I have not gone into any great detail of this but have provided a starting point should anyone wish to do so with respect to Indian philosophy. Similarly Russell's work might not be seen as a dealing with metacommunication but it clearly sets out (sic) the logical dependency of meaning on nested sets that create the necessary definitional contexts. LookingGlass (talk) 23:03, 6 November 2011 (UTC)

Communication vs. Human language
I clarified the introduction with respect to: the communication vs. human language "definitions". Bateson was a cyberneticist, as well as a linguist and semiotician, hence his definition, but on the other hand I could find no solid source for the claims that the term applies to human language in the way stated. Nonetheless I left the paragraph. Perhaps it should be deleted if there is no source (apart from thefreedictionay) to substantiate it? I also clarified the section referring to metalanguage, and referenced with material on Staal in the article. I added the Springer first page that refers. LookingGlass (talk) 15:39, 24 January 2013 (UTC)

Metacommunicative competence
I don't see why that needs to be a separate article rather than a section here. Someone not using his real name (talk) 15:37, 30 January 2014 (UTC)

I have to agree - I see no reason for a brief article with no references to be separate. Given the lack of references, I'm not even sure how it ever got accepted in the first place!Leeds-hurwitz (talk) 05:08, 4 March 2014 (UTC)

I strongly disagree. The article about metacommunicative competence may need overhauling or deleting but it does not belong here. This article is a discussion of the idea of metacommunication as an analytical concept. The stub is talking about a subset of practical skills for effective communication - it is simply making use of the term metacommunication to describe those skills. Jethrobrice (talk) 23:11, 17 July 2015 (UTC)

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