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The Discourse of Liberation and Equity in Schools and Society
Winter 2005
Education 322X
Professor: Arnetha F. Ball
Phone: 724-7424
E-mail: arnetha@stanford.edu
Class Meetings: Tuesdays 2:15-5:00 pm
Location: Building 250 251B
Office Hrs by Appt: Tuesdays 9am-12
and Thursday afternoons by appointment
Course Description
This course aims to provide a useable framework and useable tools for analyzing spoken and
written language. It will focus on the analysis of the discourses of liberation and equity in schools
and society. Discourse analysis is an interdisciplinary field with roots in linguistics (socio and
systemic linguistics), anthropology (ethnography of communication), sociology (conversation and
interaction analysis), social psychology, and education. We will explore several approaches to
discourse analysis and text analysis as tools for investigating questions that have relevance to
education. In particular, we will look closely at the role of Discourse inside and outside of
educational settings. We will look at how researchers have used content analysis, genre analysis,
structural analysis, ethnographic methods, and linguistic analysis in education. We will then focus
on how critical discourse analysis (CDA) can be used as a tool for data analysis when investigating
the discourses of liberation and equity in schools and society. We will highlight the usefulness of
each of these tools when examining how social and power relations, identities, and knowledge are
constructed through written and spoken texts in social settings such as schools, families and
communities. The course will involve a judicious combination of reading, discussion, and
fieldwork. Other topics we’ll consider are: ethical issues, transcription, computer based analytical
tools, applying for human subjects approval, and the complementarity of different methods. There
should be ample opportunity for students to understand the specific challenges of the tools you
may be considering for your own work (for your term papers, masters project, qualifying papers,
and dissertations, for example) and to practice using them via assignments, individual work, group
discussions, and final project.
The class is recommended on a Credit/No Credit basis to allow both you and the instructor to be
maximally expressive/creative/ critical about the conduct and evaluation of each assignment. This
will provide the freedom for all of us to concentrate maximally on knowledge acquisition rather
than knowledge evaluation.
Expectations for Course:
Requirements: The course requires all students to complete weekly readings, assignments, and, in
small groups, you will provide a presentation on one relevant book that focuses on
methodology in discourse analysis. Your book review will be presented during one of our class
sessions and should not exceed 30 minutes, leaving 15 minutes for questions from class
members. Dr. Ball will provide a Summary of Readings grid to guide your presentation. Your
group should use Power Point to help keep your presentation focused. You should prepare
appropriate handouts for the class and send a completed Summary of Readings grid, copy of
the handout(s), and your PPT presentation to Dr. Ball by e-mail attachment 1 day before your
presentation rather than turning in a written paper. During our first class session, you can sign
up for the topic and date of your presentation.
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Participation: It is expected that all students will attend class regularly and come to class prepared to
participate actively in the class activities. This includes thoughtful interaction with the
readings for the class ahead of time, participation in class discussions, and careful attention to
the contributions of classmates. If you have to miss a class for any reason, please notify the
instructor and arrange with a colleague to catch up on what you missed.
Final: As your course final you will thoroughly discuss one of the approaches that we have covered in
this class and apply it to a piece of data that you are personally interested in. If you like, you
may also contrast this analytic approach with another approach that you find interesting. Your
final write up should include (1) a description of your data and how it was collected, (2) a
thorough explanation of the discourse analytic approach(s) you used, why you used it, and a
reference sheet citing the primary sources you drew upon, and (3) a sample of your analysis.
Finally, you will (4) discuss your findings (which may be preliminary), the possible
implications of your findings, and how they relate to issues of liberation and equity in schools
and society. Please provide clear headings of these 4 sections in your final write up. The final
project is due 3/08/05. We will present final projects to the class on this date. Please set up an
appointment with Dr. Ball to discuss your plans for your final project on or before 2/1 and turn
in a 1-2 page plan for your final project on 2/08/05 at the beginning of our 6th class.
Course Format
This class will function as a seminar. In general, each class will consist of: (1) lecture/discussion
on the current week’s reading assignment and analytical tool(s), (2) a Fieldwork Report when
assigned, (3) lectures by visiting professors who use discourse analysis in their research programs,
and (4) student’s group book report presentations. Each week, please bring a completed Summary
of Readings grid to class that covers the readings for the week. Please e-mail the 8 completed
Summary of Readings grids to Dr. Ball at the close of our 9th class meeting.
Required Texts (available at Stanford Book Store)
Titscher, S., Meyer, M., Wodak, R., and Vetter, E. (2000). Methods of text and discourse analysis.
Sage Press. [ISBN 0-7619-6483-5]
Fairclough, Norman. (1989). Language and power. NY: Longman. [ISBN 0-582-00976-6]
Additional Course Readings available on CourseWorks site (currently being up-loaded).
Course Schedule: Following are the topics that will be covered and a list of the readings.
Week. 1. 1/04/05: Introduction
Week. 2. 1/11/05: Ethnography and Discourse
Share the definitions of discourse analysis that you located and turn in summaries of your readings.
Everyone read:
Titscher, Meyer, Wodak, & Vetter: Chapter 7 & 8: Ethnographic Methods and
Two Ethnomethodologically Oriented Methods of Text Analysis.
Baynham, M. (2004). Ethnographies of Literacy: Introduction. Language & Education (18)4, 285-306.
Select any two of the following articles that use ethnographic methods of discourse analysis: at CW
Ahearn, L. M. (2004). Literacy, power, and agency: Love letters and development in Nepal.
Language and Education (18)4, 305-316.
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Prinsloo, M. (2004). Literacy as child’s play: Making sense in Khwezi Park.
Language and Education (18)4, 291-304.
Spencer, J. W. (1994). Mutual relevance of ethnography and discourse. Journal of Contemporary
Ethnography, 23(3), 267-279. ISSN: 0891-2416
Tuyay, S., Jennings, L. & Dixon, C. (19995). Classroom discourse and opportunity to learn: An
ethnographic study of knowledge construction in a bilingual third grade classroom.
Discourse Processes, 19(1), 75-110. ISSN: 0163-853X.
Week. 3. 1/18/05: Language & Identity: Discourse with a capital “D” and Grounded Theory
Titscher, Meyer, Wodak, & Vetter: Methods of text and discourse analysis, Part 1, pp. 5-52 and
Chapter 6 on Grounded Theory.
Gee, J. P. (1989). What is literacy? Journal of Education, 171, 18-25.
Invited Guest: Dr. Bryan Brown. This experienced scholar will share his research and the tools he
uses for discourse analysis. In preparation for this visit, read Brown, B. (2003). Discursive
identity: Assimilation into the culture of science and its implications for minority students.
This reading can be found on CourseWorks.
Week 4. 1/25/05: Inductive Reasoning , Genre Analysis, and Content Analysis.
Barton, E. (2002). Inductive discourse analysis: Discovering rich features in Discourse Studies in
Composition, p. 19-42. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Duke, N. & Purcell-Gates, V. (2003). Genres at home and at school: Bridging the known to the
unknown. The Reading Teacher (57)1, 30-37.
Swales, J. & Luebs, M. (2002). Genre analysis and the advanced second language writer in
Discourse Studies in Composition, p. 135-154. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Titscher, Meyer, Wodak, & Vetter: Content Analysis, Chapters 5.
Ball, A.F. (1998). The value of recounting narratives: Memorable learning experiences in the
lives of inner-city students and teachers. Journal of Narrative Inquiry, 8(1), 1-30
This week’s book presentation:
Fairclough, N. (2003). Analyzing discourse: Textual analysis for social research, Chapters
1,2,3,4,6,7, and 9. NY: Routledge.
Students Presenting this week: Names and e-mail addresses
____________________________________________________________________________
Group will give 30 min presentation and allow 15 min for questions from class members.
Week 5. 2/01/05: Narrative Analysis
Everyone read:
Stygall, G. (2002). Narrative discourse analysis and legal texts, in Discourse Studies in
Composition, p. 257-282. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
Titscher, Meyer, Wodak, & Vetter: Narrative Semiotics, Chapters 9.
Invited Guest: Dr. Yolanda Majors. This experienced scholar will share her research and the
narrative analysis tools she uses in her work. In preparation for this visit, read Majors, Y. (2004).
Everyone should read Dr. Yolanda Majors’ article on the co-construction of counter narratives in a
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Hair Salon building on Critical Race Theory and e-mail her 1 question concerning it to ensure an
engaging discussion of her work (ymajors@uic.edu).
Select & read any one of the following articles that use narrative methods of discourse analysis: at CW
Narrative Discourse Structure. (2004). Language and Education (18)4.
Bloome, D. (2004). Young children’s narratives. Language and Education (18)4
Transitioning into a narrative world. (2004). Language and Education (18)4.
Week 6. 2/08/05: Language and Power (Plan for your final project is due today: 1-2 pages).
Everyone Read:
Fairclough, Norman. (1989). Language and power. NY: Longman. Chapters 1-4.
Gee, J. (2004). What makes critical discourse analysis critical? In Rogers, R. Critical Discourse
Analysis in Education. Lawrence Erlbaum Press.
We will jigsaw the following 3 readings and discuss them in light of the Fairclough reading:
Ball, A.F. (2000). Empowering pedagogies that enhance the learning of multicultural students.
Teachers College Record, 102(6), 1006-1034.
Powell, P. R. (2004). Critical discourse analysis and composition studies: A study of presidential
discourse and campus discord. College Composition and Communication, 55(3), 439-469.
Kris Gutierrez. B. Rrmes, and J. Larson. Script, counterscript, and underlife in the classroom:
James Brown v. Board of Education. Harvard Educational Review. 65:3, 1995: 445-471.
This week’s book presentation:
Rogers, Rebecca (2004). Critical Discourse Analysis in Education. Lawrence Erlbaum Press.
Students Presenting this week: Names and e-mail addresses
____________________________________________________________________________
Group will give 30 min presentation and allow 15 min for questions from class members.
Week 7. 2/15/05: Critical discourse analysis
Fairclough, Norman. (1989). Language and power. NY: Longman. Chapters 5, 6 & 9.
Titscher, Meyer, Wodak, & Vetter: Chapter 11, Two approaches to critical discourse analysis.
Wodak, R. & Meyer, M. (2001). Chapter 2, Between theory, method, and politics: Positioning of
the approaches to CDA in Methods of critical discourse analysis.
This week’s book presentation:
Wodak, R. & Meyer, M. (2001). Methods of critical discourse analysis. Sage Press.
Students Presenting this week: Names and e-mail addresses
____________________________________________________________________________
Group will give 30 min presentation and allow 15 min for questions from class members.
Week 8. 2/22/05: Critical discourse analysis & Conventions of Transcriptions
Huckin, T. (2002). Critical discourse analysis and the discourse of condensation in Discourse
Studies in Composition, p. 155-176. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press.
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Discuss: Baker, C. (1997). Transcription and representation in literacy research. In J. Flood, S. B.
Heath, & D. Lapp (Eds.) Handbook of Research in Teaching Literacy Through the
Communicative and Visual Arts, pp. 110-120. NY: Simon & Schuster Macmillan. ISBN:
0-02-897182-5.
Invited Guest: Dr. Carol Lee. This experienced scholar will share her research and the approaches
to discourse analysis she uses in her work. Everyone should read Dr. Lee’s reading and e-mail her
1 question concerning the article to ensure an engaging discussion. (cdlee@northwestern.edu)
Week 9. 3/01/05: Structural Analysis and Linguistic Analysis
Bazerman, C. & Prior, P. (Eds). (2004). Linguistic discourse analysis: How the language in texts
works (Chapter 3). What Writing Does and How It Does It: An Introduction to Analyzing
Texts and Textual Practices, pp. 57-82. Lawrence Erlbaum Press.
Chambliss, M. & Murphy, P. K. (2002). Fourth and fifth graders representing the argument
structure in written texts. Discourse Processes, 34(1), 91-115.
Ball, A.F. (1992). Cultural preference and the expository writing of African-American adolescents.
Written Communication, 9(4), 501-532.
Ball, A.F. (1999). Evaluating the writing of culturally and linguistically diverse students: The
case of the African American Vernacular English speaker. In C. R. Cooper & L. Odell
(Eds.), Evaluating writing: The role of teachers’ knowledge about text, learning, and
culture, pp. 225-248. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English Press.
Consider: How might critical discourse analysis be applied more directly to these readings.
This week’s book presentation:
Bazerman, C. & Prior, P. (Eds). (2004). What Writing Does and How It Does It: An
Introduction to Analyzing Texts and Textual Practices. Lawrence Erlbaum Press.
Students Presenting this week: Names and e-mail addresses
____________________________________________________________________________
Group will give 30 min presentation and allow 15 min for questions from class members.
Week 10. 3/08/05: Presentations of Final Projects