Critical Discourse Research Articles

Power and paths in transport planning and policy: the case of E39 Romsdalsfjord, Norway

ABSTRACT The appraisal stage is crucial to the later success of transport infrastructure megaprojects. Stakeholders must be engaged early to protect their interests. This article analyses power dynamics and rationalized knowledge in long-term timelines and trajectories using critical discourse analysis. It examines a case where powerful stakeholders directly influenced decision-making. The Norwegian Public Road Authority planners helped local and regional community stakeholders collaborate over 13 years. This collaboration successfully advocated for a fixed-link concept alternative in the national transport plan. The findings suggest considering changes to the planning framework and local execution.

Krew i kamienie. Potencjalne eksponaty Muzeum Ziemi PAN

The author points to the presence of potential artifacts in the Earth Museum of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw: fragments of the ruins of Warsaw monuments and the bloodstain of a Warsaw insurgent imprinted in marble. She analyzes the implications of placing these objects in a geological context and what we can see in them through a non-anthropocentric interpretive stance. The author also shows how the combination of these contexts can have the potential to lead to a critical opening of narratives and an appreciation of the Other. Key-words: non-anthropocentrism, geology, debris, blood, museum, critical discourse

Critical Discourse Analysis of Intercultural Communication through the Lens of Multiculturality and Interraciality

Recent research on Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) has focused on the identity construction of agents within discourse. This study delves into intercultural communication through the lens of multiculturality and interraciality. Employing the CDA framework, the research investigates how online Filipino Chinese writers construct their identities and those of their readers, examining the dynamics of dominance and subordination in selected intercultural discourse. The study is guided by three central questions: how online intercultural writers position themselves in terms of their social identities, how the relationship between the writer and readers is linguistically realized, and how the representations and relationships of the writer and reader manifest in terms of discursive strategies. By concentrating on identity construction through the analysis of linguistic items, the study offers critical discourse analysts an alternative method for unveiling power and dominance in written texts. Furthermore, the examination of discursive strategies allows this CDA study to perceive texts as dual in nature, serving not only as a means for writers to influence their readers but also as instruments to endorse ostensibly positive values. In conclusion, the study presents an approach for analyzing intercultural discourse, enriching the field of CDA with a nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between writer, reader, and text within the rich tapestry of intercultural communication.

Online Pravda’s Communicative Intentions Regarding the War in Ukraine: A CDA-Based Study of the Website’s Opinion Articles

This research paper, based on Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), aimed to uncover how the opinion articles published on Pravda.ru discursively depicted the war in Ukraine and the parties involved. To achieve this, two elements of CDA analysis, namely presupposition and structural opposition, were examined. The first element was scrutinized to determine how Pravda.ru depicted the war in Ukraine (RQ1), while the second element was analyzed to understand how Pravda.ru portrayed the parties involved, whether directly or indirectly, in the war (RQ2). For this study, 83 articles were subject to critical discourse analysis, covering the period from February 25, 2022, to February 24, 2023, the first year of the war. The results obtained from this study indicated that Pravda.ru employed various techniques to construct presuppositions and structural oppositions. Pravda.ru portrayed the war as a 'special military operation' and a 'proxy war.' The former, characterized as a euphemism, aimed to mitigate the impact of the word, presupposing that the events did not constitute aggression against Ukraine. The latter presupposed that Russia was a victim of a conspiracy. Furthermore, the results revealed that Pravda.ru used stigmatization and religious affiliations and terms to construct structural oppositions.

Representation of migrant accents in media discourse

Abstract This study looks at how migrants’ accents are portrayed, labelled, and constructed in media discourse, investigating media coverage of migrants’ accents in the Australian press from 2007 to 2017, a period highlighted by changes in Australian citizenship policies and public discourse. While language has been extensively discussed in policy discourse, there has been a notable dearth of research on the coexistence of dialects and accents within official languages as portrayed in media platforms. Using a corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis of 2,657,016 words from Australian newspaper articles, the study applies raciolinguistic ideologies to show how the press justifies and legitimizes migrant accent-related issues. The results suggest that speakers of Inner Circle English variants are positioned differently from non-white/Outer and Expanding Circle speakers. Speakers of the Inner Circle were far more likely than other speakers to have their accents described as ‘broad’ or ‘thick’, and they were more likely to have the national variation they spoke specifically named. Others, in contrast, regularly described racialized speakers as simply having a ‘foreign’ accent, and many of them frequently claimed trying to ‘change’ their accent or ‘fake’ an Australian accent in an effort to gain access to employment and broader social acceptance. These results emphasize the subtle and not-so-subtle ways that non-white migrant speakers are positioned as incompetent speakers and demonstrate how raciolinguistic ideologies, linguistic racism, and accent laboring concerns are widespread in Australian society. These findings highlight the significance of corpus approaches for studying language related issues and provide insight into accent biases produced by the media in Australian society.

Self-Talk: Musing on Distance Education. (2023)

Self-Talk: Musings on Distance Education is a compilation of blogs and a series of reflective writings written by the author on open and distance learning (ODL) and online learning, accounting for over three decades of his experience. The cornucopia of his ideas and anecdotes pertains to the key innovations that hallmarked developments in ODL and online learning. The book shares much-needed pathways to re-imagine compromised education in the post-pandemic world. At the time of writing this book, Dr. Sanjaya Mishra worked as the director of education at the Commonwealth of Learning (CoL) in British Columbia, Canada. The book is primarily based on his prior trove of experiences as a distance educator at the sole centrally-funded open university in India, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). The goal of this book is to understand the developments in distance education, including the changing roles of teachers and students, with critical discourse centred around IGNOU, based on lessons learned globally and specifically from engagements at the CoL. The book comprises six sections, encompassing 45 chapters.

When antisemitism is left out: Swedish teachers’ educational strategies and students’ understanding of the Holocaust during a study trip to memorial sites

ABSTRACT By deploying critical discourse analyses (CDA) of interviews with teachers and students before, during, and after a study trip to Holocaust memorial sites, and contextualizing the various discursive practices through participant observations, this study terms the regulating discursive order of teachers’ and students’ talk decontextualized racist evilness. The overarching teaching strategy aimed at leveling the gap between past and present to encourage students to act against racism. This study demonstrates how the universalist concept of the Holocaust was linked to the understanding of antisemitism as racist prejudice, among others. Additionally, it shows how the specificity of historical content was rare as was the explanatory teaching. The study indicates that students developed reasoning connected to the “why” question on their own; however, this reasoning was limited because of the lack of explanatory content (e.g., antisemitism). The study argues that study trips may not be legitimized as a prime bulwark against antisemitism.

Voicing environmental justice: critical discourse analysis of a postcard survey to amplify marginalized voices surviving and coping with environmental threats

Voicing environmental justice: critical discourse analysis of a postcard survey to amplify marginalized voices surviving and coping with environmental threats

“No longer the haven of tolerance”? The press and discursive shifts on immigration in Sweden 2010–2022

ABSTRACT The article explores key trajectories of Swedish press discourse on immigration in the period 2010–2022 which covers a variety of socio-economic and political developments including parliamentary entry and growth of the immigration-critical Swedish far-right. Analysing the press across its key variants (liberal/conservative, nationwide/regional, broadsheet/tabloid), the article points to how dynamics of the press discourse on immigration locates within the key “discursive shifts” in the wider Swedish public sphere, including those related to regular political events such as national-parliamentary elections (of 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022) as well as those marked by other, pivotal contextual factors such as the 2015–2016 European “Refugee Crisis.” Deploying a systematic, multi-method approach from within critical discourse studies, the article leads to a number of findings, including on the gradual change and the apparent negativisation of the analysed press discourse over time. It highlights that the increasing hybridity and ambivalence of discursive constructions of immigration in the press are among the key factors underlying their alignment with the wider logic of the public sphere in Sweden, and especially with developments in Swedish political discourse in recent years.

A critical discourse analysis of NAEYC's developmentally appropriate practice texts: shifting rhetoric and implications for advancing equity in family-school partnerships

ABSTRACT The most recent iteration of NAEYC’s key Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) texts (the 2020 Position Statement and the fourth edition of the DAP book) reflect a more robust stance on family educator-relationships and attention to issues of equity as reflected in linguistic shifts. This article analyses NAEYC’s rhetorical moves between the 2009 texts and the present versions, presenting a mixed-methods critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the changes in the texts drawing on critical theory, Doucet’s framework for anti-racist practice, discourse theory and critical linguistics. The findings reveal meaningful changes in the language and framing of family-educator relationships, highlighting a move towards more inclusive, reciprocal partnerships. And while the current editions of NAEYC’s key DAP texts show greater attention to cultural inclusivity and anti-bias approaches, we make a case to push for explicitly anti-racist reciprocal partnerships with families and communities within the DAP texts. We discuss the implications of these changes for policy and practice in early childhood education, as well as suggestions for future research in diverse cultural contexts, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This analysis contributes to the ongoing conversation about equity and social justice in educational partnerships and practices.

“He said she’s a bisexual gold-digger”: biphobia and epistemic injustice in news coverage of the Depp v. Heard divorce and defamation trial

ABSTRACT The 2022 defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard invites examination of how news media changed their coverage of abuse allegations since the couple’s 2016 divorce and the #MeToo movement’s 2017 globalization. Using critical discourse analysis, I found that fewer 2022 articles referenced Heard’s bisexuality compared to their 2016 divorce coverage, and 2022 articles evoked fewer biphobic stereotypes. However, outlets generally did not connect Heard’s (or Depp’s) prior arrest with current allegations of violence. Furthermore, Heard lost the trial amid social media vitriol, thereby questioning news media’s position in a newly digital “economy of believability”.

Hegemony and the National Collegiate Athletic Association: A Critical Discourse Analysis of National Collegiate Athletic Association Resources Concerning Name, Image, and Likeness

When athletes gained rights from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL), the NCAA’s historic hegemony over college sports was challenged. However, given the recency of NIL, there is minimal research on how the NCAA communicated NIL changes to its members during this time. Through the lens of hegemony theory, this research explored how the NCAA communicated its hegemony and its loss of power via its distribution of NIL resources (N = 48). Critical discourse analysis demonstrated the NCAA and its leaders predominantly employed ideological influence in their communications to members and athletes to follow NIL guidelines. This influence centered around appeals to fairness and amateurism. The NCAA also tried to use coercion to force compliance. Finally, with an increasing trend toward decentralization, the NCAA relinquished hegemony in communications that shifted control to member institutions and by requesting federal involvement.

The End of 'Responsible Gambling': Reinvigorating Gambling Studies

This paper argues that gambling research has, since the neoliberal-inspired period of gambling legalisation in the late twentieth century, been dominated by a specific discourse, that of ‘responsible gambling’. This discourse originated in a conjunction of rationalities of government and capital, in the process of which commercial gambling was legitimated. Its liberalisation represented an extension of rationalities and technologies to form a new market from what had previously been an unlawful activity. The problems and harms associated with this liberalisation became subject to claims from some pockets of expertise, notably psy-sciences, and thus became a focus for analysis. As a consequence, gambling research has been characterised by a discourse of individual pathology as the focus of study. The orthodoxy formed from this discourse constitutes a system or apparatus of economic and quasi-medical power, in which reflexive relations between gambling operators, governments, charities, and some researchers, have been significant. These reflexive relations have largely constituted the field of gambling research. This paper contends that the orthodoxy of gambling research has failed to prevent harm arising from gambling and has restricted the expansion of knowledge. A systemic critique of the orthodox discourses and technologies that constitute much of gambling research is required to address these categories. This would also address a lack of diversity in theoretical framings of gambling research priorities. Alternative ways of conceptualising the problem of legalised gambling have emerged, most clearly under the discourse of ‘public health’. The current competition between these two discourses might be categorised as between an orthodoxy (‘responsible gambling’) and a heterodoxy (‘public health’). Extending the heterodoxy into a critical public health discourse may provide a basis for rapid expansion and diversification of the research field, particularly along paths that expand knowledge, facilitate effective regulation of harmful products, and prevent harm to individuals, communities, and populations.

Homo villicus in the cinema environment.

The relevance of the topic of Homo villicus lies in its capacity to disrupt conventional paradigms of human representation and cultural understanding within the sphere of symbolism. The aim of this study is to investigate Homo villicus within the realm of symbolic representation, examining its unique characteristics and its role in contemporary philosophical discourse. The study employs a multidisciplinary approach, encompassing literature review, conceptual analysis, discourse analysis, case studies, content analysis, comparative analysis, psychological assessments, ethical considerations, and critical discourse analysis. The results of this study highlight the importance of an acratic approach to governance that uses Homo villicus, generating a counter-hegemonic discourse and intensifying the interaction between culture, cinema, and self-management. This study highlights the dynamic cultural influence of Homo villicus, which actively seeks to balance its inner forces and “build itself” through self-revolution. Furthermore, it explores the cinematic nature of self-construction, emphasizing the participation of viewers in the creation of screen products and the role of film in directly representing behavior. It also highlights the potential of Homo villicus in transforming dissatisfied models into personal models. Homo villicus’ distinctive self-demonstration technology, drawing from contemporary expositions and eschewing reliance on prior presentations, underscores its role as an innovative lens through which to explore cultural history on its terms.

Media discourses of the Ukrainian refugees during the war in Ukraine

Aim: Our main objective was to follow the narrative and de ter­mine the media discourses during the coverage of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the country by three different online news reporting websites: BBC, CNN, and Al Jazeera, each covering distinct geographic areas relevant to the investigation. Methods: Using critical discourse analysis, we conducted this study at three levels by using descriptions, interpreta­tions, and social analysis. Given the extensive scope of the subject, we had to restrict the volume of data (media arti­cles) considered for analysis. A total of six articles from Al Jazeera, nine from CNN, and four from the BBC were metic­ulously analyzed, covering the period from the beginning of the invasion (February 24, 2022) until the end of the year (December 31, 2022). Results: All analyzed media texts portrayed the Ukrainian refugees as safe, educated, and civilized, with the notion that Ukrainian refugees are welcome. The analysis demon­strates different strategies adopted by the media, where CNN attempted to evoke empathy and compassion among the readers, while the BBC and Al Jazeera focused on pre­senting verifiable facts and numerical data. However, in contrast to the BBC and CNN, Al Jazeera was critical of all the state actors on a European and global level and per­ceived that double standards were imposed among the key players. Namely, the classification of actors in the analysis shows how the media created an ‘in­group’ (Ukrainian refu­gees, Europe) and an ‘out­group’ (Russians, other refugees), where the European Union (EU) is considered as the actor that promotes European solidarity and peace. The only oc­casional criticism aimed at the EU came via Al Jazeera. Conclusion: Critical discourse analysis applied in this re­search through the three-dimensional approach clearly demonstrates the role of the media in producing and dis­tributing narratives that determine how Ukrainian refugees are represented. Since the beginning of the war, the media have collectively used respectful language towards the ref­ugees, creating a narrative that Ukraine belongs to an ‘in­group’ representative of European values and norms. Such discourses emphasize the superiority of European values.

Portrayals of the Shero: a critical discourse analysis on the representation of Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel

ABSTRACT Superhero films are currently the most commercially successful action films. They long relied on classical gender role divisions, representing physically strong male heroes. However, especially films published in the second decade of the 21st century have also shown women in more active roles. Wonder Woman (2017) and Captain Marvel (2019) were the first superhero films in which superheroines saved the world as protagonists. In this paper, I apply critical discourse analysis to investigate the contemporary film representations of Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel. My results suggest that both films depict female empowerment and address their superheroines’ struggles in rejecting women’s social roles and focusing on the pursuit of activities traditionally perceived as masculine. Both films also emphasize their superheroines’ womanhood; however, they represent these characters differently. Wonder Woman strongly emphasizes its superheroine’s feminine traits and shows her engaging in a heterosexual romantic relationship. Conversely, Captain Marvel depicts an obstinate woman whose psychological strength derives from her perseverance and support from a close female friend. I discuss my results with reference to the contemporary feminist movements postfeminism, neoliberal feminism and popular feminism.

Parrhesia in Qualitative Research: Unveiling Truths, the Critique of Power, and Embracing Risk

This work examines a range of qualitative research approaches used in the field of social sciences, including phenomenology, content analysis, action research, critical research, and critical discourse analysis. This argument underscores the significance of adopting a Foucauldian lens, which serves to question the binary opposition between realist and idealist underpinnings in the realm of research methodologies. The text provides an introduction to the notion of “fearless speech” or parrhesia, which is distinguished by its frankness, truth-telling, and acknowledgment of risk. Furthermore, it underscores the inherent danger associated with truth-telling, particularly when confronting those in positions of authority. This study seeks to provide insights into the ethical and methodological dilemmas faced by urban sociology and war and peace studies. The article finishes by establishing a connection between the qualitative research principles and research conducted on the phenomenon of urban fabric destruction. In that way, it is an attempt not only to question the theoretical basis but also to influence the ethical aspects of qualitative research in the intricate context of urban fabric destruction.

Online anti-immigrant discourse in Germany: ethnographically backed analysis of user comments

This article investigates discourse- and language-specific features of online anti-immigrant extreme speech in Germany. We analyze a context rich dataset collected and annotated through a collaborative effort involving fact-checkers, ethnographers and natural language processing (NLP) researchers. Using a bottom-up annotation scheme, we capture the nuances of the discourse and develop a typology of lexical innovations. The analysis combines thematic and critical discourse analysis with a linguistic perspective, revealing that direct forms of racism intertwine with argumentative forms of antagonism and playful word games within anti-immigrant discourses, in ways that center around narratives of victimhood and perceived threats from migrants. We further show how the specific conditions in Germany, including strict legal regulations of speech, have shaped the emergence of a non-standard language variety in and through anti-immigrant discourse, which helps the discourse community maintain group identity. The ethnographically backed analysis provides a granular understanding of the phenomenon of online extreme speech in the German context, contributing to the broader field of discourse studies and offering insights into the varieties within anti-immigrant discourse.

From the side-eye of a fat black girl: using pop culture to tackle fat phobia in education

Purpose This paper aims to address weight-based bullying as a persistent issue among adolescents. Fat phobia, rooted in societal biases against overweight individuals, leads to social exclusion and discrimination, negatively impacting mental health and equality. Educational settings suffer from the profound effects of fat phobia, creating a toxic atmosphere that distracts from learning and marginalizes students who don't conform to traditional physical norms. Design/methodology/approach This paper combines historical analysis, literature review and critical discourse analysis. It examines the historical roots of fat phobia, explores the impact of societal influences, analyzes contemporary educational practices and the use of popular culture as a innovative tool. Findings Leveraging popular culture in anti-fat phobia education effectively challenges stereotypes. Educators empower students to critically analyze media depictions, encouraging empathy and inclusivity. Current events serve as critical teaching tools, sparking discussions on intersecting discrimination forms and equity. Practical implications This paper emphasizes the urgent need to comprehensively address fat phobia in education, advocating for a shift in societal attitudes toward body diversity. Popular culture can serve as an educational tool to create inclusive classrooms where all students are valued and free from weight-based discrimination. Social implications This paper emphasizes the urgent need to comprehensively address fat phobia in education, advocating for a shift in societal attitudes toward body diversity. Popular culture can serve as an educational tool to create inclusive classrooms where all students are valued and free from weight-based discrimination. Originality/value The originality and value of this paper lie in its multi-faceted approach to examining weight-based discrimination, its historical context, practical educational strategies, and the innovative use of popular culture as a tool for promoting inclusivity and empathy.

Unveiling The Discourse of Fraud in The United States Presidential Election 202020 with Normal Fairclough Critical Discourse Analysis

Unveiling The Discourse of Fraud in The United States Presidential Election 202020 with Normal Fairclough Critical Discourse Analysis