Discourse Analysis Approach Research Articles

The Investigation of Ideological Representations in Subtitling: A Critical Discourse Analysis Approach

The present study investigates how ideologically-laden words and expressions are subtitled from English into Arabic by taking into account various translation strategies and lexical choices. It also sheds light on the role of the subtitler in this ideologically-constructed transfer. For this purpose, a mixed methods approach is followed to analyze and calculate the occurrence of the selected words and expressions from English movies and their Arabic subtitles by adopting the eclectic model of Farahzad’s critical discourse analysis model (2011), and Baker’s (2011) and Pedersen’s (2011) translation strategies. The results of the study show that the subtitlers try to convey different ideologies from the ones presented in the original dialogues by depicting Muslim characters as negative individuals and American characters as positive individuals who are saviors and defenders. This is revealed through omission, translation by more expressive words, addition, and generalization. The findings further highlight that the subtitlers attempted to match the subtitles to the religious beliefs of the target viewers through cultural substitution. Regarding shifts of agency or participants, the subtitlers employed addition by adding action verbs in the subtitles to change the meaning of the sequence or to alter the focus toward specific agents by using different pronouns. The study thereof shows the role of the subtitler as an unfaithful transmitter of reality in the subtitles.

Health professionals’ knowledge discourses concerning health: a qualitative study in Norway

ABSTRACT This study contributes to the body of professional knowledge about discourses of health. To our knowledge, no previous studies have focused on how health professionals who are being educated or have recently graduated as master’s students in health science have expanded and deepened their discussion of health. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore health professionals’ knowledge discourses concerning health developed at the master’s degree level. A discourse analysis approach based on the ethnomethodological discourse analytical tradition was chosen. Group interviews were used to collect data. Each group consisted of four participants. All participants were Norwegian; specifically, there were eleven women and one man, all of whom were aged between 29 and 49 years and had heterogeneous health professional backgrounds. The results were formulated as two discourses: 1) a health idea-oriented knowledge discourse and 2) a health context-oriented knowledge discourse. A discourse of health idea-oriented knowledge was supplemented with a discourse of health context-oriented knowledge, indicating that health professionals’ understanding of health was further developed. This study concluded that knowledge discourses concerning health developed at the master’s degree level represent a renewal of health professionals’ discursive practice more than a revision of discourses dominant at the bachelor’s degree level.

Digital creativity and ecolinguistics

Abstract This study explores the intersection of digital creativity and ecolinguistics through an analysis of ecological framings in the acclaimed video game Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (FF7R_inter). Given the rise of ecocentric games during the COVID-19 pandemic, this research examines how FF7R_inter incorporates environmental themes and the potential impact of these themes on players’ ecological awareness. Utilizing an ecolinguistic discourse analysis approach, the study investigates the linguistic and multimodal resources used in the game to frame environmental issues such as fossil fuel dependency and eco-terrorism from a multiversal inter-reality perspective. The findings reveal that FF7R_inter employs specific rhetorical strategies, including differences in ecological framings and semantic choices, to convey ecological messages, thereby contributing to the broader discourse on environmental sustainability in pop culture. This research highlights the significant role that digital games can play in shaping public perceptions of environmental issues and underscores the importance of integrating ecolinguistic perspectives into the analysis of digital media.

A Critical Discourse Analysis of Gender Representation in a Cameroonian ESL Textbook

This paper examines a Cameroonian ESL textbook – Mastering English: Student’s Book for Form 1, with the aim of investigating gender representation in this textbook. The study employed a document analysis design because data for the study was collected exclusively from the textbook. Data was collected by observing the images and by reading through the passages, dialogues and sentences in the textbook, and noting the various representations of the male and female genders. The study adopted the Critical Discourse Analysis approach to analyse data related to visibility, occupational roles and firstness in presentation in order to unveil the inequalities and power imbalance between the representation of the male and female genders in the textbook. The findings revealed that the male gender is given more visibility above the female in terms of pictorial and lexical representations. Besides, more occupational roles are assigned to males than to females in the textbook. Males equally dominate the first position in dialogues, common noun, proper noun and pronoun pairs. The study concludes that the dominance of the male over the female gender observed in the textbook is a replication of the gender imbalance that exists in the Cameroonian society. This study therefore brings to the limelight these gender imbalances in Cameroonian textbooks, and recommends that curriculum developers should always endeavour to strike a balance between the representation of the male and the female genders when designing educational materials.

CRAFTING A FOUCAULDIAN GENEALOGY METHOD FOR ANALYZING CURRICULUM-AS-DISCOURSE IN SOUTH AFRICA

Introduction/Frame: (Contextualization/Justification) Viewing curriculum as discourse can enable educators to identify how historical markers of discrimination are repeated. Historical markers are archaeologically embedded in the various dimensions of a curriculum and find expression in preferred ways of thinking, speaking, doing, and being. Such historical hypernorms are often maintained by practical rationalities, or technologies of power that reify their taken-for-granted legitimacy as ‘truth regimes’. Research Question/Objectives: This phase of the study aimed to critically explore and disclose how the (socio/politico-historically constructed) rules of knowledge-formation in a contemporary occupational therapy curriculum-as-discourse, are reproduced and maintained as truths at a university that historically supported apartheid in South Africa. Methodology: A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA) approach was used to systematically craft a genealogy analysis method from foundational Foucauldian theory. Adjacent, a lens of the ‘dimensions of the curriculum’ was employed: i.e., the formal, the informal, the hidden, and the negated curriculum. Various data sources were categorized accordingly, e.g., overarching policy documents; social events; timetables and prescribed texts; physical teaching spaces; espoused values, and underlying assumptions modelled during assessment in teaching and learning spaces. Results: Following the four rules of knowledge-formation that ensued from an archaeology analysis, the contemporary reification of the historical markers was problematised through various technologies of power and self, as well modes of reasoning. Examples are pervasive white demographics of both students and faculty reifying cognitive monopoly and mono-cultural epistemologies; the rationalization of highly ritualized (over)assessment of students suppressing adult-to-adult transactionalism in andragogy practices; the reproduction of mono-cultural epistemologies in clinical training operating in the hidden curriculum. Final considerations: Consciously dismantling the rationalising strategies for the continuation of discriminatory patterns of inclusion and exclusion in a curriculum, can open a space for critical dialogue, disruption, and reconfiguration of a curriculum-as-discourse towards social justice, and epistemic freedom in (higher) education.

Media construction of pseudo-events: Lula da Silva at the Portugal’s parliament during a historic annual celebration

The Carnation Revolution (25th April 1974) has changed the course of Portugal, leading it to transition from an autocratic to a democratic Government. Every year, celebrations are conducted at the national Parliament. In 2023, it counted with another guest: Lula da Silva, Brazil’s ongoing president. Considering the notion of cultural memory and media construction of social reality through media events, this article notes Lula da Silva’s presence and exceptional address was portrayed on newspaper front pages of several journalistic media outlets. Therefore, it aims at understanding meaning and discourse production with Lula da Silva’s visit to Portugal on the 25th April 2023 through media coverage and first page highlight. Lula da Silva is noticed by the front pages under analysis as a controversial, entertaining, and eventful celebrity linked to specific positioned actors that is invited to the Parliament and prompts indirectly and directly discontentment and, at the same time, support. Also, it discusses how such spotlight over Lula da Silva turned that visit and Parliament’s address it into a pseudo-event. Adopting a Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis approach, this research work intends to offer a multimodal eye upon those front pages and critically reflect on populism, coloniality, cultural memory, and journalism.

Upmarket boudoirs and red lights: the physical environment of sex workplaces in New Zealand

ABSTRACT The physical environment and location of brothels has been the focus of significant scholarship, although much of the literature focuses on the exterior of these businesses, leaving the interiors as yet under-examined. In New Zealand, there is a tension between decriminalization’s intention that brothels are treated similarly to other businesses, and the enduring stigma which sex work is subject to. To mitigate stigmatization and public condemnation of their businesses, brothel owners sometimes mimic the aesthetic and branding of more mainstream industries. Drawing on data from media texts and interviews with brothel owners and operators, this article examines how ‘mainstreaming’ narratives of respectability and acceptability are produced in the physical space of brothels, particularly their interior décor and design. Media texts were analysed using a critical discourse analysis approach, and interviews using a Foucauldian discourse analysis model, allowing for an understanding of the interplay between the discursive production of the brothel sector and the physical environment of these businesses. We suggest that brothels’ interiors are used as a way of indexing their class status, and explore how this may be used to communicate ideas about the workers employed there, particularly in relation to existing stigmas about prostitution.

Exploring the Discursive Representation of Pakistani Female Politicians in Print and Electronic Media: A Qualitative Study of Narrative and Framing

This study uses a qualitative discourse analysis approach to investigate Pakistani female politicians' discursive representation in print and electronic media. Specifically, the research focuses on the narratives and framing strategies employed by the media to construct and portray the public image of these political figures. By employing Corpus-Assisted Diachronic Discourse Analysis (CADDA), the study traces the changes in media discourse over time, uncovering how gender biases, societal norms, and power dynamics shape the representation of women in Pakistani politics. The findings reveal significant trends in gendered framing, highlighting how media portrayal fluctuates between marginalization and recognition of female politicians' contributions, though gender stereotypes remain deeply embedded in these narratives. The findings of this study have important implications for future media reform initiatives, advocating for a more equitable and balanced representation of women in politics. The insights gained can also inform gender advocacy strategies and policy efforts to enhance women's visibility and leadership roles in traditional and digital media.

Political Preferences Of Young Generation (Gen Y And Gen Z) Ahead Of The Contestation Of The 2024 West Java Governor And Vice Governor Elections

Gen Y (millennials) and Z are predicted to have a vital role in the conduct of General Elections, this cannot be separated from quantitative data-based considerations, specifically their very large proportion of the total number of Voters. Within the context of the 2024 West Java Governor and Vice Governor Elections, such figure is realized to reach 54 percent. Given such background, it is not surprising that all components of interest, in this case the electoral committees, electoral candidates, and including academics are competing in making a more detailed map of the political preferences and voting behavior of gen Y and Z. This study uses a qualitative method and critical discourse analysis approach. This study seeks to show a number of factors in relation to the political preferences of gen Y and Z in the implementation of democratic mechanisms, specifically General Elections. These political preferences of gen Y and Z are mapped out through survey data, those survey data are analyzed in depth through the theory of voting behavior. This study is expected to be a reference for electoral committees and electoral candidates in the formulation of strategic policies to improve gen Y and Z's participation and involvement in electoral politics.

Sequências textuais em uma tira on-line: critérios analíticos e construção de sentidos

In this paper, we foster a discussion of textual sequences according to the theoretical approach of textual discourse analysis (TDA) and promote a reflection on how these compositional units can subsidize the analysis of an online comic strip by Maurício de Sousa, posted on the Instagram profile @gibi_nostalgia. We intend to answer specifically the following questions: 1) How do the iconic images (described objects) textualize operations of the descriptive and contribute to the construction of a visual narrative? 2) Which textual-discursive functions does the descriptive assume in the construction of meaning(s)? To answer these questions, we remain on level 5 of the analysis, the compositional structure, and focus on the textual sequences and their functions in the textual organization of the selected comic strip. We establish an interface between the TDA (Adam, 2011; 2019) and studies of the descriptive (Marquesi, 2004; 2007; 2017; 2018), of the visual sign (GRUPO µ, 1993) as well as of comics (Acevedo, 1990; Cagnin, 2014; Ramos, 2007; 2009), according to the features and specifications of this genre. The analyses undertaken showed that, with due adaptations, notions of textual sequences are also valid for verbo-visual texts, specifically so for the analyzed comic strip, and they give relevant orientations for the construction of meaning(s).

A Multi-Modal Study of Persuasive Strategies in Native and Non-Native School Advertisements

The current study investigates how private schools target native and non-native English speakers through YouTube advertisements using a multi-modal discourse analysis approach. The study examines persuasive strategies, how ads appeal to viewers, and influence decision making in native and non-native private school ads. Native school ads may emphasize communicating in English, prestige of private school, and high academic standards. Non-native ads may emphasize diversity of students and resources for learners.Native school ads may use formal, dramatic language while non-native ads use inclusive, accessible language. Ads reflect assumptions about language, education, values and status - native schools emphasize fluency, non-native emphasize inclusive learning. Ads use humor and emotion differently - native ads use culture-specific humor while non-native appeals to shared values like diversity. The study analyzed ads using models from Kress and van Leeuwen(2006), and Halliday(1979) then draw conclusions that verify the hypothesis. Both ad types aim to present a nurturing school but native ads use clearer language while non-native use aspirational, indirect language. Native ads value honesty, respect, collaboration while non-native value inclusiveness, diversity, cultural diversity. The study concludes that ads have similar visual, textual strategies but values and language use varies based on native or non-native audience.

UNVEILING GENDER BIAS: AN ANALYSIS THE DECONSTRUCTION OF MEANING IN ADVERTISING THROUGH CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS

Society's current views on gender equality have become a crucial topic of in-depth discussion, especially those widely promoted by modern society in advertising. It proves that the meaning of gender equality recognized in society has shifted from its true meaning. This research aims to raise the issue of gender equality by deconstructing the meaning of gender equality in advertising from a feminist perspective using Critical Discourse Analysis. This research uses a descriptive qualitative research design with a critical discourse analysis approach by Fairclough, which focuses on three dimensions: the textual, discursive, and sociocultural practice dimensions. The data collection technique in this research uses the SBLC (Simak Bebas Libat Cakap) and note-taking techniques, in which the researcher listens to the utterances contained in the advertisement and records the utterances that will be used as data objects. Data sources were obtained from advertisements published on YouTube, totaling four advertisements with the theme of gender equality. The results of this study provide a deep understanding of the meaning of gender equality in the media and society. They can build different stereotypes or realities and be well-accepted by society. In addition, the deconstruction of meaning allows us as researchers or academics to look more critically at the discourse in these advertisements and whether gender equality always puts men in a position that dominates women.

Decoding the apple paradox: a critical discourse analysis of gender, technology, and nationalism in China’s digital space

This research explores the intricate nexus of gender, technology, nationalism, and misogyny within the context of China’s digital realm. Positioned against the backdrop of an internet celebrity’s accusation towards Apple, the study critically examines a uniquely crafted narrative that adds socio-cultural dimensions to Apple’s perceived network misrepresentations. Female iPhone users are strategically criticized as intellectually inferior influencers of societal contributions, reflecting prevalent discussions regarding 5G technology. The narrative further stigmatizes female iPhone users with implications of involvement in sex work, leading to significant brand implications. Rooted in the framework of Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (FCDA) and assisted with the approach of corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis (CADA), this study deciphers the complex narrative, focusing on themes of cyber misogyny, economic stratification, and nationalism. The research further reveals how this criticism toward female iPhone users extends beyond mere resentment, unveiling deeper foundations of nationalism and threat perceptions toward traditional phallocentric dominance. The term “traitors” allocated to female iPhone users rationalizes the ongoing assaults as patriotic endeavors, bellwethering toxic nationalism that marginalizes minoritized individuals. This scholarly examination underscores social media platforms, with a focus on Douyin, as potent venues for reinforcing gender bias, particularly through their algorithmic recommendations, content moderation practices, and governance models. This delineation emphasizes the critical need for ongoing sociocultural and digital discourse to challenge and mitigate these dominant, biased narratives.

Mistrust: conservative rhetoric in the Oireachtas 2018 abortion debates

ABSTRACT In 2018, the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of Ireland, which had prohibited abortion except under certain severe circumstances, was repealed by an overwhelming majority of voters in a national referendum. This article addresses opposition in the Oireachtas to the liberal changes to the abortion legislation that preceded and followed the referendum. By employing a critical discourse analysis approach, I identify characteristically conservative rhetoric and arguments used in the debates. Furthermore, I adopt an analytical framework provided by Albert O. Hirschman to argue that the opposing rhetoric employed wasrooted in the conservative tradition: the opponents of the abortion legislation argued both that the changes to the legislation will have the opposite result than intended and lead to unacceptable consequences. The legislation will not only harm society but also undermine the interests of women. I conclude that the opposition to the legislation was based on a mistrust of women, their agency and self-determination. The study aims to shed light on how core ideas of conservatism, such as opposition to ‘excessive’ equality, manifested in the contemporary political debates on abortion and how, ultimately, the rhetoric in the Irish debates fits within the larger framework of conservatism as a school of thought.

A MAN IN ROMANCE: THE PORTRAYAL OF THE MALE PROTAGONIST IN NETFLIX’S SERIES “BRIDGERTON” SEASON 1 (2020)

Gender research in the media focuses more on the representation of women and neglects that of men (Brooks & Hébert, 2006; Kimmel et al., 2004). Little research has been conducted to examine the representation of men’s psychological aspects, such as feelings, affection and personality. This paper analyzes Netflix's series Bridgerton Season 1 using a critical discourse analysis approach, to explore how the male protagonist is portrayed visually and linguistically in romance. The findings reveal that while the male protagonist is portrayed as having vulnerabilities and insecurities in love and marriage, he is ultimately depicted with stereotypical masculine traits associated with patriarchal power. Although this depiction of the male protagonist may encourage the audience to embrace the multiplicity of masculinity, it could reinforce male gender norms and raise harmful social expectations on men.

INSIDEN PENURUNAN BANNER PEOPLE’S JUSTICE DI DOCUMENTA FIFTEEN DAN PERINTANG KOMUNIKASI ANTARBUDAYA

On 20 June 2022, Indonesian artists and art observers were shocked by the news that Taring Padi’s banner artwork entitled People’s Justice exhibited at Documenta Fifteen was interpreted by protesters as containing anti-Semitic elements. Taring Padi explained that his work was based on Indonesia’s political landscape during the New Order regime and had nothing to do with anti-Semitism. However, the banner was eventually dismantled on 21 June 2022. This brought up several interesting research questions pertaining to the chronological account of the incident, the causes of the incident, and actions that should have been taken by Taring Padi as a cultural agent. This research applied the qualitative method with critical discourse analysis approach. Results found that the incident occurred because of two main reasons. Firstly, the protesters were unwilling to ask the artist for any clarification and explanation. Secondly, Taring Padi was ignorant about elements which could be considered anti-Semitic because the concept is not particularly well-known in Indonesia. People’s Justice could actually serve as a medium for initiating dialogues between fellow artists and their audience. However, this work has potential drawbacks because it contains potentially misunderstood antagonism that narrows the interpretive space. This incident could have been prevented if the artist had provided sufficient room for dialogic interpretation and if the audience had been more open-minded, through which discursive encounters can be held to understand each other’s cultural and societal problems.

Hybridity and Paradox: The Cultural Bridge of Gen Z (A Critical Multimodal Discourse Analysis on the X Account @Aniesbubble)

Social media, such as Twitter, enable immediate and delayed interaction with a wide audience. Online personas of political figures, such as the X account @aniesbubble, are in the spotlight in the 2024 election campaign, especially in attracting the attention of potential young voters in Indonesia. This research aims to ana-lyze the critical multimodal discourse on X @aniesbubble account in the context of the 2024 election political campaign. The main focus is to understand how multimodal ele-ments are used to shape opinions and interactions with audiences, as well as the implica-tions of using this strategy in cultural and political contexts. This research uses a qualita-tive method with a multimodal critical discourse analysis approach. The main data was taken from the X @aniesbubble account in the time period before the general election until the determination of the election winner. The analysis was conducted based on Norman Fairclough's theory, which includes three levels of analysis: text, discursive practice and social praxis. Additional data was obtained from relevant books, news articles, and journal articles. The research found that the @aniesbubble X account succeeded in creating an authentic and attractive political persona for the younger generation through the use of glocalization and cultural hybridity strategies. The account also demonstrates the dynamic interaction between global and local influences, and is able to convert social capital into economic capital through the active participation of fans. The findings suggest that social media plays an important role in shaping political and cultural narratives.

Language Variations in Captions of Covid-19 Information on Instagram: Analysis of Language and Gender and Their Relevance For Preparing High School Level RPP (Sociolinguistic Approach)

This research discusses language and gender variations in Instagram captions. The aim of this research is to find the influence of gender on language variations in Instagram captions, describe the results of interpretation and analysis of @drningz and @adamprabata Instagram captions regarding Covid-19 information, realize the meaning based on the results of analysis using the Computer Mediated Discourse Analysis (CMDA) approach. using language in the virtual world or the internet as well as creating RPPs (Learning Implementation Plans) and expository text teaching materials for high school level students. This research uses a descriptive qualitative method with data collection techniques of non-participant observation, documentation and note-taking, in the form of screenshots containing captions with the theme of Covid-19 on Instagram social media. Data analysis in this research refers to Lakoff's (1975) theory regarding the language features used by women and men. The results of the analysis show that the variations of language on Instagram used by men and women tend to have many similarities, namely showing the characteristics of a variety of spoken languages. Expert doctors, both male and female, both realize language variations in Instagram captions by conveying goals or intentions. The differences in language used by gender are not very significant and tend to have many similarities.

Dissecting Gender Bias: Critical Discourse Analysis of Advertisements in Indonesia

This research aims to identify gender equality issues by deconstructing the meaning of gender equality in advertisements from a feminist perspective through Critical Discourse Analysis. This research uses a descriptive qualitative research design with a Critical Discourse Analysis approach developed by Fairclough, which focuses on three main dimensions: textual dimension (microstructural), text production practice dimension (mesostructural), and socio-cultural practice dimension (macrostructural). Research data were obtained through interviews with informants as well as from advertisements related to gender equality aired on YouTube. Data collection techniques include interviews and the method of free listening and listening (SBLC) with note-taking techniques. The data collected was then analyzed using triangulation and deconstruction methods to reveal the ideology contained in the ad text and compare it with the informants' views. The results of this study show that societal norms often undermine women's abilities and limit women's roles to the domestic domain or as companions to their husbands. This research is expected to provide a deeper understanding of the meaning of gender equality in advertising media and help build a new perspective that is more inclusive and acceptable to society in Indonesia. The phenomenon of gender equality remains a challenge in many countries, including Pakistan and Nigeria, although the approaches and responses to this inequality differ in each country. In Pakistan, gender representations in media and advertising tend to reinforce traditional stereotypes, while in Nigeria, women are more active in fighting inequality through platforms such as blogs, which are used to criticize patriarchy and fight for social change. Deconstructing meaning in advertising allows researchers and academics to critically evaluate whether gender equality always places men in a dominant position over women, thus opening space for deeper analysis and more equitable solutions.

Preparing learners for digitally mediated academic communication: Digital multimodal practice in students’ knowledge dissemination videos

The advancement of digital technologies requires English for Academic Purposes (EAP) education to incorporate digital-multimodal approaches in curriculum development to prepare learners for academic communication in this digital era. One such effort is the integration of digital multimodal composition (DMC). While the existing studies have investigated pedagogical practice involving DMC, there is still a lack of a systematic identification of the multi-semiotic communicative patterns in students' DMC performance. Using a systemic functional approach to multimodal discourse analysis (SF-MDA) and social semiotics approach to multimodality, the study aims to explore the patterns and characteristics of student-generated knowledge dissemination videos, a kind of DMC specifically pertaining to disciplinary communication targeting non-specialists. The analysis displays students' discursive patterns in the creation of interpersonal, ideational, and textual meanings. It is found that students excel in creating interpersonal meaning through configuring embodied and filmic modes and using popular visuals. However, their performance in conveying ideational and textual meaning needs improvement. Some students rely on technical language with unclear visuals, while others use a limited range of semiotics. Textual meaning created in the videos shows intermodal and intramodal incoherence. These findings can inform EAP course development and enhance students’ digital multimodal proficiency in academic communication.