Discourse Analysis

Catalog description

Discourse analysis has been informed by several academic disciplines, including anthropology, linguistics, philosophy, literary theory, and sociology. Since there are many ways to define and analyze discourse, there exist multiple, often conflicting, approaches to the study of language use. This course is an introduction to the various theories and methods of discourse analysis, which will be explored through critical reading and discussion, and through hands-on application of these methods on actual discourse data. We will consider 'discourse' as variously conceived: as language beyond the sentence, as language use in context, as any meaningful social and symbolic practice, and as ways of talking about and recreating the social world. Some methodological concerns to be addressed include how discourse can be represented, which units of analysis are relevant, and what the analysts' goals should be. In addition, we will discuss how discourse relates to identities and ideologies in diverse social settings.