Using stories to bridge the chasm between perspectives: How metaphors   and genres are used to share meaning
  Natural language, although complex in structure, contains considerable detail. All instances of language serve the purpose of making sense of experience and the intent of actors. Language conveys actor's personal reference to goals, responsibility, and values. In this paper we consider how actors from distinct perspectives communicate when they have share common goals. We have observed the planning of a community and cultural event where actors are variously responsible for management and for artistic merit.   Specifically, we consider actor's use of language as a tool to span perspectives and how functional discourse analysis tools and techniques enable a deeper interpretive understanding of the layers of discourse when derived from a rich context. We will also illustrate patterns we have found in the use of discourse and actor's ability to bridge the reasoning and logical gap between distinct perspectives through actor's reference to metaphors and genres. 
Emily Keen, Simon Milton and Rachelle Bosua
cs.CY