Recontextualizing

Recontextualizing is the process of taking content, ideas, artifacts, or discourse from one context and presenting them within a different context, often altering meaning, function, or interpretation in the process. It is used across disciplines to analyze how meaning shifts when something is relocated, framed differently, or subjected to new purposes.

In linguistics and discourse studies, recontextualization describes how speech and text move between social fields or genres. For example, a policy statement drafted for internal use may be recontextualized into a public-facing document, changing tone and emphasis to suit a different audience. In this sense, context and function are not fixed but negotiated as materials circulate.

In sociology of education, particularly within Basil Bernstein’s theoretical framework, recontextualization refers to how knowledge is extracted from its everyday ortechnical origins, reorganized, and repackaged into school curriculum and assessment. This official knowledge is then recontextualized again when taught and applied in social practice, highlighting the politics and power relations embedded in what is considered legitimate knowledge.

In media, cultural studies, and art, recontextualization often involves remix, sampling, or quotation—taking elements from one work and placing them in a new setting to create novel meanings or critique. Journalistic editing and documentary practices may also recontextualize quotations or footage, which can influence audience interpretation and raise ethical considerations.

Overall, recontextualizing is a key mechanism by which meaning is produced and contested as materials move between groups, genres, and purposes.