SLS 678: Discourse Analysis (2)
Spring, 2008
Christina Higgins
Office hours: Mondays, 1:40-2:40;
Wednesdays, 11-12 and 1-2:30; by appt.
Moore 557; 956-2785
cmhiggin@hawaii.edu
Welcome! This semester, we will treat this section of 678 as a doctoral seminar in discourse analysis. This
means that we will engage in readings that take us well beyond introductory and survey readings, and which
will draw on your previous training in discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, and qualitative research
methodologies. Moreover, the class will provide you with the opportunity to hone your analytical skills from a
number of discourse perspectives through many data sessions in class. As a seminar, participants will
contribute to the course in a number of ways: 1) by negotiating the syllabus with the instructor; 2) by actively
participating verbally in class through discussions and data sessions; 3) by providing discourse data from their
own ongoing projects and leading data sessions; and 4) by progressing on their individual projects throughout
the course. Each of the individual projects will be negotiated between the seminar participants and the
instructor on a one-on-one basis.
Data sessions:
Please bring to class some relevant data for analysis that relates to the current readings in some manner. It is
fine to bring in data that you have been working on, or to use data taken from other sources. Feel free to use
the current course readings as a complementary (or even contradictory) approach to the methodologies that
you have been using so far; often, it can be helpful to compare one approach with another to deepen your
original analysis of data.
for PhD students:
 lead a data session relevant to the course readings (2/4-4/14)
 co-lead a data session relevant to the course readings (2/14-4/14)
 lead an hour hour-long data session at the end of the course that can make use of various
themes and approaches taken from the course to analyze some data
for Master’s students
 lead a data session relevant to the course readings (2/4-4/14)
 lead an hour hour-long data session at the end of the course that can make use of various
themes and approaches taken from the course to analyze some data
Readings: to be distributed in class and via email
Recommended texts:
Phillips, Louise, & Jorgensen, Marianne. 2001. Discourse analysis as theory and method. London: Sage.
Wetherell, Margaret, Taylor, Stephanie, and Yates, Simeon (eds.) Discourse theory and practice: A reader.
London: Sage.
Mills, Sara. 2004. Discourse. London: Routledge.
Wooffitt, Robin. 2005. Conversation analysis and discourse analysis: A Comparative and critical
introduction. London: Sage.
Two helpful resources for quick explanations of profoundly intricate concepts
 Journal of Linguistic Anthropology June/December 1999, Vol. 9 (the entire volume is comprised of 2-3 page
descriptions of concepts like ‘intertextuality’ and ‘performativity,’ all written by experts in the field)
 Stef Slembrouck’s website What is meant by discourse analysis? http://bank.rug.ac.be/da/da.htm#so (with
examples
 Schegloff’s home page (pdf files and audio clips available) http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/schegloff/
1/14
intro to the course, negotiation of syllabus
1/21
holiday
1/28
Introduction to Discursive Pscyhology and CA perspectives
Wetherell, M. (2001). Themes in discourse research: The case of Diana. In M. Wetherell, S.
Taylor, & S. Yates (eds.) Discourse theory and practice: A reader (pp. 14-28).
London: Sage.
Phillips, L. & Jorgensen, M. (2001). Chapter 1: The field of discourse analysis. In Discourse Analysis
as Theory and Method. London: Sage.
Heritage, J. (2001 [1984]). Goffman, Garfinkel and conversation analysis. In M.Wetherell, S.
Taylor, & S. Yates (eds.) Discourse theory and practice: A reader (pp 47-56). London:
Sage.
data session: Christina
Debating Context: DP, CA Perspectives (download readings from Schegloff’s homepage)
Schegloff, E. (1997) ‘Whose Text? Whose Context?’ Discourse & Society 8: 165–87.
Billig, M. (1999a) ‘Whose Terms? Whose Ordinariness? Rhetoric and Ideology in Conversation
Analysis’, Discourse & Society 10: 543–58.
Schegloff, E. (1999a). Schegloff’s Texts’ as ‘Billig’s Data’: A Critical Reply. Discourse &
Society 10: 558–72.
Billig, M. (1999b) ‘Conversation Analysis and the Claims of Naivety’, Discourse & Society 10:
572–6.
Schegloff, E. (1999b) ‘Naivete vs Sophistication or Discipline vs Self-indulgence: A Rejoinder to
Billig,’ Discourse & Society 10: 577–82.
data session: Toshi AND Ping
2/4
2/11
Post-structuralism and DP
Phillips, L. & Jorgensen, M. (2001). Chapter 2: Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory. In Discourse
Analysis as Theory and Method. London: Sage.
Wetherell, M. 1998. Positioning and interpretive repertoires: Conversation analysis and poststructuralism in dialogue. Discourse & Society 9, 387-412.
Hook, D. 2001. Discourse, knowledge, materiality, history. Theory & Psychology 11, 521-547.
data session: Priti
2/18
holiday
2/25
DP, Feminism, and other Critical Perspectives
Speer, Susan. 2002. Sexist talk: Gender categories, participants’ orientations and irony. Journal of
Sociolinguistics 6, 347-377.
West, C. & Fenstermaker, S. 2002. Accountability in action: the accomplishment of gender, race
and class in a meeting of the University of California Board of Regents. Discourse & Society
13, 537-563.
van Dijk, T. A. (1992). Discourse and the denial of racism. Discourse & Society 3, 87-118.
data session: Matt
3/3
Critical Discourse Analysis and Natural Histories of Discourse
Blommaert, J. (2001). Context is/as critique. Critique of Anthropology 21, 13-32.
Silverstein, M. & Urban, G. 1996. The natural history of discourse. Introduction. In
Silverstein & Urban (eds.) Natural histories of discourse.
Collins, James. 1996. "Socialization to text: Structure and contradiction in schooled literacy"
in Silverstein & Urban (eds.) Natural histories of discourse.
data session: Ping
3/10
Performativity
Bauman and Briggs, 1990. Poetics and performance as critical perspectives on language and social
life, Annual Review of Anthropology 19, 59–88.
Pennycook, A. 2004. Performativity and language studies. CILS 1, 1-19.
Pennycook, A. 2007. Chapter 6, English and the global spread of authenticity. In Global Englishes
and transcultural flows. London: Routledge.
data session: Hakyoon
3/17
Performativity and styling
Georgakopoulou, A. 2005. Styling men and masculinities: Interactional and identity aspects at
work. Language in Society 34, 163-184.
Stroud, C. & Wee, L. 2005. Style, identity and English language literacy. Linguistics and Education
16, 319-37
Shenk, P. 2007. ‘I’m Mexican, remember?’ Constructing ethnic identities via authenticating
discourse. Journal of Sociolinguistics 11/2, 2007: 194–220.
data session: Yumiko
3/24
spring break
3/31
AAAL, SS
4/7
Crossing and double-voicing
Rampton, B. 1998. Language crossing and the redefinition of reality. In P. Auer (ed.) Codeswitching
and conversation. (pp. 290-317) London: Routledge.
Woolard, K. 1998. Simultaneity and bivalency as strategies in bilingualism. Journal of Linguistic
Anthropology 8, 3-29.
LaDousa, Chaise. 2006. The discursive malleability of an identity: A dialogic approach to
language "medium" schooling in North India. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology 16, 36-57.
data session: Toshi
4/14
Intertextuality and Indexicality
Sterponi, Laura. 2007. Clandestine interactional reading: Intertextuality and double-voicing under
the desk. Linguistics and Education, 18, 1, Spring, 1-23
Silverstein, M. 2003. Indexical Order and the Dialectics of Sociolinguistic Life. Language &
Communication, 23, 193-229.
Hill, J. 2005. Intertextuality as Source and Evidence for Indirect Indexical Meanings JLA, 15, 113124.
data session: Priti & Matt
4/21
(2-3) Data Sessions
4/28
(2) Data Sessions
5/5
(1-2) Data Sessions and evaluations