Discourse analysis

- Seminar 1 - Frank Bramlett and Niina Hynninen

Department of EnglishStockholm University

OutlineO Course introductionO What is Discourse Analysis (DA)?O Introduction to research projectO Discourse and Society

The concept of discourse

O d = discourse: language-in-useO D = a discourse, discourses: relatively crystallised ways

of meaning making recognised by a community of language users

A Discourse is a socially accepted association among ways of using language, of thinking, feeling, believing, valuing, and of acting that can be used to identify oneself as a member of a socially meaningful group or 'social network', or to signal (that one is playing) a socially meaningful 'role'. (Gee 1990: 143)

O Continuum from more micro-level descriptions of language to social and historical settings of language use

What is DA?O “Approach to the analysis of language that looks at

patterns of language across texts as well as the social and cultural contexts in which the texts occur.” (Paltridge 2006: 1)

O Focus on both spoken and written language.O Focus on the crossroads of language use, context

and action:O How macro-level processes (e.g. changes in world

economy) are negotiated in micro-level language use?

O What macro-level processes, rules and consequences can be seen in texts?

AssumptionsO Discourse as the social construction of reality (varies

between approaches to DA)O Texts as communicative units embedded in social and

historical practicesO Discourse shapes language:

O e.g. changes in our associations of the term ‘terrorist’ after 9/11 O Discourse is shaped by language:

O e.g. influence of the media: China depicted as ‘a tiger on steroids’ => idea becomes part of readers’ social reality constructed through discourse

O Performativity: O socially constructed identities (we are what we do, say etc.)

O Intertextuality: O relationships between texts, intertextual chains

more textually-oriented more socially-oriented

Different views of DA

<= Discourse grammarCA =>

<= Corpus approaches

<= Genre analysis =>

CDA =>

Pragmatics =>Discourse and society =>

ExampleTopic: news discourse

O D&S: Depiction of women vs. men in news texts

O Pragmatics: Comparison of expressions of politeness in news texts from two different countries

O CA: (Lack) of repairs in news broadcastingO DG: Ellipsis in newspaper headingsO Genre: Discourse structure of news articlesO Corpus: Word frequency and collocations (e.g.

terrorism) in news textsO CDA: ideologies reflected in news texts

What DA focuses onO Relationship between language and

the context in which it is usedO Description and analysis of spoken

text OR written text OR both

Spoken-written-continuumO Different types of spoken and written discourse:

O From casual conversations to prepared lecturesO From chat rooms to emails to published articlesO Affect type of discourse

O Speech (typically):O Reformulations, repetitions, hesitations, fillers, pauses etc.O Spoken grammar, e.g. negotiating topics or fronting: these

lions they don’t eat each otherO Linear, real-time production

O Writing (typically):O Lexical density, nominalisation and long noun groupsO What we typically see: product (not process)

Discourse & SocietyPaltridge, Ch. 2

O Discourse communitiesO What kinds of language (register) are valued

and used?O What text types are most common? What

purposes do those texts serve?O How do members situate their identities vis-à-

vis other members? The community as a whole?O Who belongs to the group as a core member?

Who might be a peripheral member? O How do participants indicate membership in the

group using language (discourse)?

Discourse & Society (cont.)

O Speech communitiesO Any group of people who speak the

same language (Paltridge 27)O Any group of people who use the

same language, repertoire, or variety but also who have the opportunity to interact with each other (Spolsky 1998 qtd. in Paltridge 27)

O In these definitions, spoken language is privileged as basic, but written language is not entirely excluded.

Discourse and IdentityO In traditional sociolinguistics, the

characteristics of sex, class, and race were taken as isolated, identifiable social variables.

O Now, however, we know that these ‘social variables’ are complex. They stretch and contract; they are more relevant or less relevant at different times.

O Through discourse, individuals perform their identities, and this includes gender, SES, and race/ethnicity.

Discourse and IdentityO People perform their gender, partially

through language and also through other visual, behavioral cues.

O People perform SES/class, partially through language.

O People perform their ethnicity, partially through language.

O Social cues and linguistic cues (discourses and Discourses) signal membership in discourse communities and in speech communities.

IdeologyO Ideologies are often defined as beliefs

(or belief systems) that underpin everyday actions and behaviors. (e.g., Fairclough, van Dijk)

O Ideologies sometimes make the ‘state of the world’ seem natural, and we often don’t question things that seem natural.

O Ideologies are maintained partially through language, and they are also taught through language as well.

Ideology(9) [LM6C6m]

1. Host: I’ve got a Paul from Brisbane2. calling in from the cave.3. Good morning.4. C6: a ha ha »how are ya« a: I’m I’m5. actually in my workshop which is uhm6. I- was one of the (.) p- parts of7. our renovation that I insisted8. upon having.9. Every blokes gotta have a shed.

Rendle-Short 2005: p. 568

Your project

O Discussion question?

Your projectO We would like for you to start

thinking about your project. Not to decide what your project will be, but just to consider a few things.

Your projectO Each reading assignment will give you

new information about DA. Whenever you read a chapter or article, keep some things in mind:O Theory: identify central concepts &

definitionsO Methodology: how to identify

linguistic componentsO Possibilities for your own research

project.