Discourse Analysis

Paper Summary:

Discourse analysis is an interdisciplinary approach to the study of language. This paper explores the role of power in discourse analysis in terms of the discourses (language) and investigates the hidden power behind different situations and the power placed upon the analyst themselves, their ability to affect the conclusions drawn from the discourses and the problems they may cause or create. It looks at examples of previous discourse analysis work and tries to identify the position of power within them. It then tries to discover, if any, problems which may arise from power. Moreover, the paper tries to provide a method of discourse analysis that tries to avoid any problems that may occur or arise due to power. In this respect, by including specific resources into the discourse analysis, the paper attempts to show that the extra uncertainties associated with power may be reduced or eliminated altogether.

From the Paper:

"Wetherell and Potter provide an analysis of passages taken from people whom were connected to a scene of violence in 'Narrative characters and accounting for violence'. Their account of the police preventing a riot shows the conflicting powers within the situation. On the one hand, there is the power associated with the general public. Their urge to display their unhappiness or opposition is shown by rioting. Their collective power is very immense. However the police were forced into using force to control the power. The police now have control of the power by controlling the crowds. Their power is more of a physical power which they use to overcome the social power. Their use of force within society is justified as the speaker explains or pushes the point of "severe violence" if they did not disband the collective power. Even in society, violence is unacceptable; their use of violence was part justified since they were using violence to control a greater violence. In this respect, they are using the alarm signal of a potentially threatening and more violent situation to justify their behaviour. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• 1. Fairclough, N.1989. Language and Power. 1st edition .London: Longman.
• 2. Parker, I. 1989. Chapter 4 Discourse and Power in Shotter, J and Gergen, K. 1989. Texts of Identity. 1st edition. London: Sage.
• 3. Wetherell, M and Potter, J. 1989. Chapter 13 Narrative Characters and Accounting for Violence in Shotter, J and Gergen, K. 1989. Texts of Identity. 1st edition. London: Sage.
• 4. Rosalind, G. 2005. Chapter 10 Discourse analysis in Martin, W. Bauer and Gaskell, G. 2005. Qualitative Researching with Text, image and sound, a practical handbook. 4th edition. London: Sage.
• 5. Parker, I and Burman, E. 1993. Discourse analytic research, Repertoires and Readings of Texts in Action. 1st edition. London: Routledge.

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