DSh 2016 04 08
Critical Discourse Analysis: Philosophical assumptions and practical applications
Textbook definitions of discourse analysis generally characterize the field as heterogeneous
and constituted of a wide range of assumptions, approaches and methodologies. Reflecting the
rising popularity of discourse analysis within social sciences, definitions of ‘discourse’ itself
are abundant. The same goes for methodological perspectives.
In the morning session of this workshop, students will get an introduction to social
constructionist approaches to discourse and discourse analysis, in particular critical discourse
analysis (CDA) as defined by Fairclough (1992; 1995). CDA emerged in the late 1980s as an
interdisciplinary European school of discourse studies and ‘[s]ince then, it has become one of
the most influential and visible branches of discourse analysis’ (Blommaert & Bulcaen 2000,
p.447).
In the afternoon session, participants will be asked to make exercises individually and/or in
small groups to obtain more hands-on experience in conducting CDA. Finally, through
classroom discussions, students will be given time to ask questions and/or discuss issues
related to their own research projects. For this purpose, participants are invited to submit
questions related to their project prior to the workshop.
This seminar is intended for students who are doing research in the field of social sciences
and humanities, with a preferable research focus on media. The language of instruction and
communication in this seminar is English, unless all participants understand Dutch. The
number of participants is limited to 15.
Credits: 1
Registration via
https://my.vub.ac.be/nieuws/2016/01/18/dsh-critical-discourse-analysis-philosophical-assumptionsand-practical