This document provides an introduction to discourse theory, defining discourse and outlining some key concepts. It defines discourse as coherent spoken or written language used in a social context to communicate. It distinguishes between narrow definitions of discourse referring to specific modes of communication (written, spoken, mediated) and wide definitions viewing discourse as social practice. Discourse is shaped by and helps shape social reality through inclusion, exclusion and rearrangement of elements in its representations. The document also discusses context, purpose, and coherence as important aspects of discourse analysis.
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Introduction to Discourse Theory - PPT for an invited lecture
This document provides an introduction to discourse theory, defining discourse and outlining some key concepts. It defines discourse as coherent spoken or written language used in a social context to communicate. It distinguishes between narrow definitions of discourse referring to specific modes of communication (written, spoken, mediated) and wide definitions viewing discourse as social practice. Discourse is shaped by and helps shape social reality through inclusion, exclusion and rearrangement of elements in its representations. The document also discusses context, purpose, and coherence as important aspects of discourse analysis.
This document provides an introduction to discourse theory, defining discourse and outlining some key concepts. It defines discourse as coherent spoken or written language used in a social context to communicate. It distinguishes between narrow definitions of discourse referring to specific modes of communication (written, spoken, mediated) and wide definitions viewing discourse as social practice. Discourse is shaped by and helps shape social reality through inclusion, exclusion and rearrangement of elements in its representations. The document also discusses context, purpose, and coherence as important aspects of discourse analysis.
Biljana Radi-Bojani, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad
radic.bojanic@gmail.com What is discourse? discourse = a conversation or text discourse = collection of texts or conversations discourse = a shared way of talking or creating texts (code)
narrow and wide definitions of discourse narrow discourse as opposite to text: written, spoken, mediated discourse (e.g. Internet), visual discourse wide discourse as a social practice
Introduction language: often defined as a system of arbitrary symbols used for human communication knowing the grammar and lexicon of a language does not imply that we will be able to use it correctly these systems are used in social contexts in other words, we need to look at how language is used and what it is used for
Construction via language when we speak or write, we craft what we have to say to fit the situation or context in which we are communicating also, how we speak or write creates that very situation or context power of language creates a social reality and is shaped by a social reality
vs. Identity when we speak or write, we use language resources to project ourselves as a certain kind of person, who is different in different circumstances we also project ourselves as engaged in different activities in different circumstances Exercise story: Abigail wants to get across a river to see her true love, Gregory. A river boat captain named Roger says he will take her only if she agrees to sleep with him. In desperation to see Gregory, Abigail agrees to do so. But when she arrives and tells Gregory what she had done, he disowns her and sends her away. ..... group A: rewrite as a formal report group B: rewrite as a Facebook status group C: retell your friend group D: retell your teacher Discourse discourse briefly defined as coherent spoken or written language used in a context for the purposes of communicating something naturally occurring language key words: coherent/ cohesive spoken written context purpose Coherence ideas that are arranged in a clear and logical way are coherent when a text is unified and coherent, the reader can easily understand the main points cohesion: the links that hold a text together and give it meaning; it is related to the broader concept of coherence Example A One day her mother said to her, "Come, Little Red Cap, take this piece of cake and bottle of wine and bring them to your grandmother. She's sick and weak, and this will strengthen her. Get an early start []
Example B And this will strengthen her. Take this piece of cake. One day her mother said to her. She's sick. Speaking vs. writing Context generally defined as a situation in which an act of communication takes place on the one hand, it narrows down the choice of linguistic means (for the speaker) on the other hand, it helps us predict what kind of language will be used (for the hearer) what influences the choices: genre purpose of communication relationship between the speaker and hearer message content Purpose no act of communication is devoid of purpose it all happens for a reason sometimes the reason is straighforward and obvious sometimes it is hidden deep in the discourse in the latter case, it usually hides an ideology or an intention of the speaker/ writer Discourse as a social practice discourses of peace discourses of food medical discourse ... A discourse is "a language or system of representation that has developed socially in order to make and circulate a coherent set of meanings about an important topic area." e.g. Discourses about Animals 1. Animals as living creatures, cute creatures, pets. They have feelings (anti abuse of animals) 15 Animals as pets Anti abuse of Animals 16 Animals as delicious food 17 How is reality shaped by/in discourse? realities = social practices action & experience represented in discourse construction of a reality language mediates experiences people behind messages (the sender) mediate experiences through language Socially constructed knowledge knowledge developed in specific social contexts, and in ways which are appropriate to the interests of social actors in these contexts contexts: large (e.g. a company, the socialistic ideology) small (e.g. family, between best friends) institutionalized (e.g. mass media) discourses are resources for representation, knowledge about some aspect of reality, which can be drawn upon when that aspect has to be represented Plurality of discourse there can be several different ways of knowing and hence also of representing the same object of knowledge different ways of making sense of the same aspect of reality can include or exclude different things, and serve different interests evidence for the existence of a given discourse comes from texts, from what has been said or written more specifically it comes from the similarity between the things that are said and written in different texts about the same aspect of reality it is on the basis of such similar statements, repeated or paraphrased in different texts and dispersed among these texts in different ways, that we can reconstruct the knowledge which they represent Examples MPs rally to Ashdown - - - - ITS PADDY PANTSDOWN ------------------------------------------------------------------------- TORY MP FOUND DEAD IN STOCKINGS AND SUSPENSERS - - - - MPs death shocks Tories Fear of fresh scandal after senior party sources talk of murder The Anatomy of Discourse (1) Actions: the things people do, the activities that make up the social practice and their chronological order Manner: the way in which (some of or all of) the actions are performed. (e.g. slowly, energetically, graciously, based on anger) Actors: people (also animals) involved in the practice, and then different roles in which they are involved (for instance active and passive roles) Presentation: the way in which actors are dressed and groomed. All social pratices have their rules of presentation, although they differ in kind and degree of strictness
24 The Anatomy of Discourse (2) Resources: the tools and materials needed to enact a social practice Times: Inevitably social practices are timed, they take place at certain times, and they last for certain amounts of time Spaces: the spaces where the social action takes place, including the way they should be arranged to make the practice possible 25 in reality all these elements must be part of the way a social practice is actually enacted but texts/discourses may include only some of them, and so do the discourses on which these texts draw their content knowledge is selective what it selects depends on the interests and purposes of the sender(s) (institutions) that foster the knowledge being critically literate is being aware of this fact! Strategies of transformation of reality 1. Exclusion: discourses can exclude elements of social practice 2. Rearrangement: discourses can rearrange the elements of social practices, for instance when it detemporalizes elements which in reality have a specific order, or when it imposes a specific order on actions which in reality do not need to take place in any specific order 3. Addition: discourses can add elements to the representation (purposes, evaluations, legitimations) 4. Substitution: discourse substitutes concepts with other concepts
being critically literate is being aware of the strategies that are applied in order to construct reality 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35
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