3210-2223

Discourse Analysis and Interpretive

Research
Silke Heumann and Farhad Mukhtarov
Teaching Assistant: Mahardhika Samsoe’oed Sadjad
 Readings
Paltridge 2012: What is Discourse Analysis? in
Discourse Analysis: An Introduction. London,
Preparatory New Delhi, New York, Syndey: Bloomsbury
material Institute of Development Studies (IDS) 2006
The power of labelling in development practice,
IDS Policy Briefing 28, April 2006.
 • Introduce ourselves, get to know each
other
• What is discourse analysis and why does it
Agenda matter?
• What can you expect from this course?
 Name & preferred pronoun
Where is ‘home’
Introduction
Background & interest in Discourse Analysis
Round
(1 min/ person ☺)
 Understanding “Discourse”
(Gasper & Apthorpe 1996)

1. An intellectual framework, a way of thinking/talking/writing about a

subject. [“Discourses frame certain problems; that is to say, they
distinguish some aspects of a situation rather than others…“ (Hajer,
1994: 45).
2. `In Linguistics, a stretch of language larger than the sentence [is a
discourse]' (Bullock & Stallybrass, 1977:175); `...any piece of language
longer (or more complex) than the individual sentence' (Honderich,
ed., 1995:202).
• Extensive, usually intellectual treatment of a subject
3. Conversation, debate, exchange; Focuses on roles, locations and social
structuring of debate and intellectual exchange in policy-making ;
4. Practice and theory; ‘discursive practice’
5. “Regimes of truth” and systems of meaning/power/knowledge
(inspired by Foucault but very common in contemporary social
sciences).
Genres: different contexts, different ‘languages’, and
rules of communication
Definition & implications Examples
“Genres are ways in which people ‘get things done’ through
their use of spoken and written discourse” (Paltridge 2012:
62) Political speech
We use language in particular ways depending on : Policy documents
• the content and purpose of the genre
Legislation, treaties
Personal interviews; Public interviews (tv/newspaper, ..)
• the relationship between us and the person /audience we
are communicating with Group interviews / focus group discussions
• whether the text is written or spoken Public debates (tv/radio/newspapers)
The apology (many types and contexts…)
• the social and cultural context in which the genre takes
place Newspaper articles: reports; comments; edited interview
• The rules that govern particular genres Popular science books
Research Reports
Academic texts
Hence, when we analyze texts, we need to choose methods
that are appropriate for the genre studied Novels
The genre will affect our criteria for interpretation and Campaign songs; national anthems; …
assessment of a text (e.g. we will assess an electoral speech
on very different grounds than an academic article)
 • Research methods course
• On investigating use of language in social life: how meanings
are constructed, conveyed, used (disputed, altered), and
Discourse with what effects.
Analysis and • Discourse analysis is part of an interpretive approach to
social research, which investigates meanings in human
Interpretive behaviour: their content(s), formation, uses and impacts
• Social life is constructed and re-constructed through
research meaning-making, by people.
• Investigating the uses of language and the construction of
meanings helps us to understand society – social systems,
behavior, conflicts, change.
• Meanings are contained in artifacts: language, objects, acts.
In 3210 we look centrally at language use and written texts
– in context.
Course Themes & Approach
• Discourse analysis: we all are experienced discourse analysts, because everyday communication
requires discourse analytical skills. We never spell out all our assumption when we communicate.
That would not be possible.
• The point is to learn how to use these skills systematically in the process of social research.
• The best way of learning something is by doing it. Therefore, we have included 4 practice
workshops in the course. In preparation of these workshops you will apply a particular method
and submit you exercise via canvas. During the workshop we discuss the ways in which we
approached the text and the insights that we gained. Students can always choose between two
methods and at the end the two groups can compare notes in terms of the similarities and
differences in the kind of insights that different methods yield.
• Analyzing a text typically will involve detailed attention to word choices, structure and arguments
(microscope), as well as ‘ zooming out’ to understand their broader significance (telescope).
• Both allow us to ‘make strange’ what appears familiar and is taken for granted.
• The field of Discourse analysis is very pluralistic and has evolved out of very different disciplines
(linguistics, social psychology, sociology, political science, etc.). We encourage combining methods
of discourse analysis, as well combining these with other research methodologies.
 After completing the course, students will be able to:

1. Understand and be able to purposefully select from and use a

range of discourse analysis approaches and methods, as parts of a
social research investigation.

2. More skilfully interpret texts, including:

Learning • seek to identify the discourse(s) [in the sense of: a structured way
of thinking] and/or ‘frames’ / narrative(s) behind a text, in
relation to social context and social practices; and see how a text
objectives attempts to impose an ordering of social relations;
• understand better the intellectual and social location of texts, and
relationships between texts, worldviews and social practices;
including differences between genres;
• use formats of text analysis to: examine the meanings and roles of
key concepts and to distinguish 'sub-texts' that lie behind
statements; better identify text structure and evaluate the
adequacy of proposed judgements or actions; and so
• craft your own arguments and texts more systematically,
creatively and effectively.
 Poststructuralist discourse analysis
Poststructuralist policy analysis (WPR)
Semantic and argumentation analysis
Content Analysis
Methods and
Framing Analysis
approaches Narrative Analysis
Metaphor Analysis
Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
Rhetoric
 SESSION SCHEDULED DATES

Introduction
1 Introduction (SH) Mon 16 Jan 09:00 - 10:45
2 Doing Interpretive Research (FM) Wed 18 Jan 16:00 - 17:45
3 Semantic Analysis – meanings: concepts, categories, identities, tropes and argumentation analysis (FM & MSS) Mon 23 Jan 09:00 - 10:45
4 Discourse and Power (SH) Wed 25 Jan 16:00 - 17:45
Module 1
5 Hansen’s adaptation of Post-Structuralist Discourse Analysis in International Relations (SH) Mon 30 Jan 09:00 - 10:45
6 WPR - What is the Problem Represented to Be? Bacchi’s Poststructuralist Policy Analysis (FM&SH) Wed 1 Feb 16:00 - 17:45
Workshop 1: Practice Post-structuralist DA (FM,SH &MSS) Mon 6 Feb 09:00 - 10:45
7 Module 2
8 Content Analysis (FM) Wed 8 Feb 16:00 - 17:45
9 Frames and Framing (SH) Mon 13 Feb 09:00 - 10:45
10 Workshop II: Practice Content and Framing Analysis (FM,SH & MSS) Wed 15 Feb 16:00 - 17:45
Module 3
11 Narrative Analysis – I: the power and dangers of stories (FM) Mon 20 Feb 09:00 - 10:45
12 Narrative Analysis – II: understanding politics and social movements (SH) Wed 22 Feb 16:00 - 17:45
13 Metaphor Analysis (FM) Mon 27 Feb 09:00 - 10:45
14 Workshop III: Practice narrative and metaphor analysis (FM & MSS) Wed 1 Mar 16:00 - 17:45
Module 4
15 Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA): Socio-cognitive and Historical Approaches covered (Michael Farrelly) Mon 6 Mar 09:00 - 10:45
STUDY TRIP MAJOR (slot can be used on request) Wed 8 Mar 16:00 - 17:45
16 Rhetoric: the combined use of argumentation, metaphor, frames and narrative (SH) Mon 13 Mar 09:00 - 10:45
17 Workshop IV: practice CDA and Rhetorical analysis (FM,SH &MSS) Wed 15 Mar 16:00 - 17:45
18 Discourse Analysis as Part of Interpretive Research: illustrations and course review (MSS) Wed 22 Mar 16:00 - 17:45
 Student
assignments,
presentations • Active Participation, including submission of
practice exercises for 4 workshops (20%)
and evaluation
• Main assignment – 80%. Individual paper on a
selected text. (Choice must be approved by the
course staff.)
 Important Dates

Deadline for approval text for final paper Monday 06 March 18.00

Submission extended paper outline (optional) Monday 13 March 18.00

Feedback from lecturers on submitted outline Thursday 16 March 18.00

Deadline final paper submission Wednesday 05 April 12.00

 Example
Framing and
problem Two Catholic priests cannot decide/agree on how to
representation advise their parishioners. So they write to the
Vatican for guidance.
• Priest A asked: ‘Is it permissible to smoke while
praying?’ Answer: Never! One must concentrate
fully on prayer.
• Priest B asked: ‘Is it permissible to pray while
smoking?’ Answer: Yes! It is always good to pray.
(Adapted from Postman 1992, cited by Bacchi 2000: 50)
Also used in the recent Netflix film ‘The Two Popes” as an
anecdote by Pope Franciscus.
Reflections

• This is a classic example of the power of framing, understood as a

certain way of (re)presenting a given situation.
• The different framings of the question (re)produce different meanings
attached to ‘praying’ and ‘smoking’ with radically different
consequences: in one case smoking ends up being allowed, in the
other prohibited.
• We can also go a step further and ask: what do both framings of the
question have in common? What are the unspoken assumptions?
• Praying does not involve smoking
• Smoking is in tension/ potential contradiction with praying
• But is that true? What possibility is silenced in both framings of the
question?
• Smoking as a central element in praying (production and inhalation of smoke
has historically been present in virtually all religions, and is most explicitly
practiced by Native Americans)
• Smoking not in contradiction to spirituality, but the spiritual connection
between the earth and heavens
➔as social scientists it is extremely important to be aware of this:
• In terms of research: different ways of defining a research problem,
formulating research questions, wording interview questions, etc. will
lead to very different ‘findings’.
• Different ways of defining a social problem or a policy problem will
lead to different ‘solutions’

Can you think of examples?

Concluding
• Discourse Analysis: look at the text in context. What is in the text and what
is silenced? What are the implications/effects?
• ‘Making strange’. Identifying the unspoken assumptions underlying a text/
speech.
• Looking at how meanings are contested, have changed over time, or vary
across cultures/ contexts is often a good strategy for that
• It is exactly those things that ring ‘true’ and that seem the most obvious to
us, that we need to interrogate the most.
• Questioning our taken-for-granted assumptions, opens up a whole new set
of questions, and possibilities to understand and transform the status quo.
Questions or Feedback?