critical discourse analysis

Universidad BolivarianaUniversidad Bolivariana Lic. Jordan MasíasLic. Jordan Masías Critical Discourse AnalysisCritical Discourse Analysis

Critical Discourse Critical Discourse

Analysis.Analysis.

Henceforth: Henceforth: CDACDA


The Canadian Broadcasting CorporationThe Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)(CBC) (February, 2003)(February, 2003)

reported a study on student violence in reported a study on student violence in Nova Scotia schoolsNova Scotia schools


The researchers asked 1,800 teachers to take The researchers asked 1,800 teachers to take part. About 600 responded:part. About 600 responded:

9494 had been hit by a student had been hit by a student

5959 had been kicked had been kicked

116116 had been shoved had been shoved

2626 had either been threatened or had either been threatened or assaulted by a student with a assaulted by a student with a weaponweapon

This way of presenting data This way of presenting data leads the reader to think that leads the reader to think that violence in schools is quite a violence in schools is quite a relevant issue, even alarming relevant issue, even alarming

issue. issue.


15% said a student had hit them15% said a student had hit them

9.8% had been kicked9.8% had been kicked

19% had been shoved19% had been shoved

4% had been threatened or assaulted 4% had been threatened or assaulted with a with a weaponweapon

This view wouldn’t be transmitted if the This view wouldn’t be transmitted if the results had been exposed in a results had been exposed in a

statistical way. Consequently we would statistical way. Consequently we would have that have that


85% of the teachers said they had 85% of the teachers said they had notnot been been hit by a studenthit by a student

90% had 90% had notnot been kicked been kicked

81% had 81% had notnot been shoved been shoved

96% had 96% had notnot been threatened or been threatened or assaultedassaulted

Even more, if the scope of the Even more, if the scope of the results wouldn’t be on giving results wouldn’t be on giving

agency to the conclusion “alarming agency to the conclusion “alarming violence in schools”. The results violence in schools”. The results could have been presented in the could have been presented in the

following way:following way:


Words…., Harmless?....., naa!!!

““Words are the source of Words are the source of misunderstandingsmisunderstandings””

The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint ExupèryThe Little Prince, Antoine de Saint Exupèry


Critical Discourse Analysis sees language Critical Discourse Analysis sees language as a system of interactionally stimulated as a system of interactionally stimulated

signs that help human beings to signs that help human beings to construct and construe reality. construct and construe reality.

Faircough (2003), Wodak (2006) [both online]Faircough (2003), Wodak (2006) [both online]


The construction of reality is achieved The construction of reality is achieved

through through cognitive processescognitive processes subsuming subsuming

or that are subsumed by language; or that are subsumed by language;

scaffolding in this way, a scaffolding in this way, a dynamic dynamic

dialectical relationship between dialectical relationship between

language and social ontology.language and social ontology.

(ibid.)(ibid.)


““Los códigos fundamentales de una Los códigos fundamentales de una cultura- los que rigen su lenguaje, sus cultura- los que rigen su lenguaje, sus esquemas perceptivos, sus cambios, sus esquemas perceptivos, sus cambios, sus técnicas, sus valores, la jerarquía de sus técnicas, sus valores, la jerarquía de sus practicas- fijan de antemano para cada practicas- fijan de antemano para cada hombre los ordenes empíricos con los hombre los ordenes empíricos con los cuales tendrá algo que ver y dentro de los cuales tendrá algo que ver y dentro de los que se reconocerá.” que se reconocerá.”

(Foucault 1966: pp. 5)(Foucault 1966: pp. 5)


Individuals build the notion of the Individuals build the notion of the “self-being” through the ““self-being” through the “experience experience of usof us” , in this way, people unravel ” , in this way, people unravel and construe reality by the idea they and construe reality by the idea they have got of a given real/abstract have got of a given real/abstract issue, combined and judged with the issue, combined and judged with the analysis of the rest’s perspectives, analysis of the rest’s perspectives, getting to create a personal view getting to create a personal view ((see see Armijo, online).Armijo, online).


RERECOGNITIONCOGNITION

PIECE OF PIECE OF REALITYREALITY

PIECE OF PIECE OF REALITYREALITY

INTERACTIONTHROUGH

LANGUAGE

FAMILYFAMILY

FRIENDSFRIENDS

ENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENT

WORKWORK

SELF-VIEWSELF-VIEW

ABSTRACTIONABSTRACTION

REALITYREALITY


In CDA, Discourse is:In CDA, Discourse is:

““a category which designates the broadly a category which designates the broadly semiotic elements […] of social life (language, semiotic elements […] of social life (language,

but also visual semiosis, ‘body language’ but also visual semiosis, ‘body language’ etc.)” .etc.)” .

(Fairclough 2006 [online])(Fairclough 2006 [online])


CONTEXTCONTEXTSOCIETYSOCIETY

LANGUAGELANGUAGE

DISCOURSEDISCOURSE

Discourse, in this way, Discourse, in this way, subsumes language, social subsumes language, social practices and social beliefs practices and social beliefs or ideologies and context. or ideologies and context.


As Pilleux (As Pilleux (SeeSee Mansilla, 2005) has Mansilla, 2005) has asserted, CDA is focused on the study of asserted, CDA is focused on the study of language in social relationships. It intends language in social relationships. It intends to comprehensibly investigate the to comprehensibly investigate the connection of the different linguistic connection of the different linguistic features of texts/oral dicourses and the features of texts/oral dicourses and the reflection they produce regarding cultural reflection they produce regarding cultural and social structures; Strongly bearing in and social structures; Strongly bearing in mind the relations and processes to which mind the relations and processes to which this kind of discourses belong to.this kind of discourses belong to.


To this Extent Ruth Wodak (To this Extent Ruth Wodak (see see Dellinger, 1995) asserts that Critical Dellinger, 1995) asserts that Critical Discourse Analysis must have the Discourse Analysis must have the purpose of studying language in purpose of studying language in natural environments within natural environments within situations of social relevancy.situations of social relevancy.


Consequently, CDA, as a discipline, has Consequently, CDA, as a discipline, has focused its work on texts/discourses that focused its work on texts/discourses that are widely spread and known by are widely spread and known by communities, opening up new communities, opening up new perspectives for a further analysis of the perspectives for a further analysis of the way social realities are (re)constructed in way social realities are (re)constructed in a variety of discourses like the discourses a variety of discourses like the discourses in Mass Media (Dellinger, 1995), Politics, in Mass Media (Dellinger, 1995), Politics, Organizational Studies (Fairclough, 2006)Organizational Studies (Fairclough, 2006)


To be more concise, CDA analyses texts To be more concise, CDA analyses texts that are fully embedded with Culture and that are fully embedded with Culture and that (could) modify social ontology, that (could) modify social ontology, materialising the movement of power materialising the movement of power (political/non-political), stimulating (political/non-political), stimulating dominance and hegemony of some groups dominance and hegemony of some groups over the others. In this way, through the over the others. In this way, through the analysis of discourses/texts of the analysis of discourses/texts of the mentioned type, CDA gives researches a mentioned type, CDA gives researches a fruitful opportunity to understand the fruitful opportunity to understand the machinery that arouses and excites machinery that arouses and excites change in societies.change in societies.


The objective of this discipline is to The objective of this discipline is to uncover the ideological beliefs that are uncover the ideological beliefs that are concealed in the words of our texts or concealed in the words of our texts or oral speech, so as to resist and prevail oral speech, so as to resist and prevail over the diverse forms of power over the diverse forms of power (control) or to obtain an appreciation (control) or to obtain an appreciation of the power control we are performing of the power control we are performing without a proper realization.without a proper realization.

(Fairclough, 1989)


““Yo espero que estas páginas puedan ser Yo espero que estas páginas puedan ser

útiles a quien crea en la necesidad de que útiles a quien crea en la necesidad de que

la imaginación ocupe un lugar en la la imaginación ocupe un lugar en la

educación; a quien tiene confianza en la educación; a quien tiene confianza en la

creatividad […]; a quien conoce el valor creatividad […]; a quien conoce el valor

liberador que puede tener la palabra. El uso liberador que puede tener la palabra. El uso

total de la palabra para todos me parece un total de la palabra para todos me parece un

buen lema, de bello sonido democrático. buen lema, de bello sonido democrático. No No

para que todos sean artistas, sino para que para que todos sean artistas, sino para que

nadie sea esclavo.”nadie sea esclavo.”

(Rodari, 1973. En Lomas, Carlos 2002 (pp. 172).(Rodari, 1973. En Lomas, Carlos 2002 (pp. 172).

critical discourse analysis

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