Discourse Research Articles

Furthering racial liberalism in UK higher education: The populist construction of the 'free speech crisis'.

In this article we analyse the constructed 'free speech crisis' associated with higher education (HE) in the United Kingdom (UK). We examine the media discourses from 2012 to 2022 which led to the establishment of a sense of crisis around speech in universities and, ultimately, to the Freedom of Speech Act in May 2023. We undertake a critical discourse analysis focused on the constructions of universities and university students in two major right-wing broadsheet newspapers, The Times and The Telegraph, and in the right-wing magazine The Spectator. We conceptualise the 'free speech crisis' as a discursive formation which is part of broader political efforts of conservative elites to maintain hegemony in Britain. Drawing on populism theory and race critical analyses, we argue that the 'free speech crisis' is an expression of racial liberalism and a placeholder for a deeper white anxiety over the social reproduction of elites in university spaces, and thus over (cultural) hegemony in the public sphere. We understand the desire to regulate 'free' speech in HE as an effort to prevent the emergence of an elite and (counter)hegemony different to the status quo. We make contributions to two emergent and interrelating bodies of literature: firstly, the study of populism in (post)Brexit Britain, and secondly, the study of culture wars, including iterations of the 'free speech crisis' and 'the war on woke'.

Ideologi dalam Pesan Natal 2023: Pendekatan Analisis Wacana Kritis dalam Perspektif Fairclough

A different wave of uniqueness characterizes Christmas celebrations after the Covid-19 era compared to pre-pandemic celebrations. Every year, Christmas is accompanied by a consistent message theme. The Christmas message of 2023 from the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) and the Indonesian Church Guardian Conference (KWI) is closely related to the challenges faced by the nation, becoming the basis for the people in honoring God. This research explores the socio-cultural nuances contained in these Christmas messages. With a descriptive qualitative approach, this research uses Fairclough's critical discourse analysis framework and a theological perspective. Data obtained from internet downloads was reduced to identify key analysis elements. The analysis was conducted through three stages of Fairclough's model: text analysis, including description, interpretation, and explanation; discursive practices; and socio-cultural contextualized experience. Findings indicate the presence of eleven keywords in the Easter message, featuring linguistic diversity, including repetition, imperative language, persuasion, and causation. In addition, the socio-cultural insights highlighted caution towards election preparation, identity politics, environmental preservation, the impact of globalization, vigilance in using social media, and technological advancement. These Christmas messages are hoped to appropriately shape people's attitudes to create inner peace and prosperity in honoring God.

Emotions of fear and anger as a discursive tool of radical right leaders in Central Eastern Europe

The paper examines how the radical right parties´ leaders work with emotions while addressing their voters and sympathizers on Twitter/X social media. We focus on the “supply side” on the level of leaders´ discourses. The goal is to demonstrate how they work with emotions, especially those of fear and anger. The context represents Russian aggression against Ukraine, because, typically, circumstances of a crisis bolster the ability of radical right leaders to use emotional rhetoric devices. Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia represent three particularly relevant and distinctive cases among the CEE countries according to the relevance, relative strength, and stability of radical right parties. We examined social media, particularly Twitter, since it is one of the most prominent tools of political communication today, especially for populists. We collected the data of all Tweets between February 24, 2022 and February 24, 2023. We combined a systematic quantitative content analysis with a more in-depth qualitative analysis of the key characteristics of the discursive construction of the two most salient emotions: anger and fear. We did not confirm the assumption that they would utilise the war in Ukraine since most tweets addressed issues related to domestic politics. The research, however, confirmed that despite differences, anger and fear play a substantial role in the emotional repertoire and represent necessary rhetorical devices. Our findings concur with the literature on radical right populism and its employment of emotional discourse. We found that even a crisis in international politics has been reframed primarily as a domestic issue and integrated into classical discursive practices.

Using multimodal learning analytics as a formative assessment tool: Exploring collaborative dynamics in mathematics teacher education

AbstractBackgroundTraditionally, understanding students' learning dynamics, collaboration, emotions, and their impact on performance has posed challenges in formative assessment. The complexity of monitoring and assessing these factors have often limited the depth and breadth of insights.ObjectivesThis study aims to explore the potential of multimodal learning analytics as a formative assessment tool in math education. The focus is on discerning how collaborative discourse behaviours and emotional indicators interplay with lesson evaluation performance.MethodsUsing undergraduate students' multimodal data, which includes collaboration data, facial behaviour data, and emotional data, the study explored the patterns of collaboration and emotion. Through the lens of multimodal learning analytics, we conducted exploratory data analysis to identify meaningful relationships between specific types of collaborative discourse, facial expressions, and performance indicators. Moreover, the study evaluated a machine learning model's potential to predict target learning outcomes by integrating data from multiple channels.ResultsThe analysis revealed key features from both discourse and emotion data as significant predictors. These findings underscore the potential of a multimodal analytical approach in understanding students' learning process and predicting outcomes.ConclusionsThe study emphasizes the importance and feasibility of a multimodal learning analytic approach in the context of math education. It highlights the academic and practical implications of such an approach, along with its limitations, pointing towards future research directions in this area.

Anatomizing Pope Francis’ pandemic homilies: Discourse parts and types in focus

In times of crisis, the role of religious leaders becomes paramount in providing solace and guidance to their followers. This study undertakes a comprehensive analysis of Pope Francis’ homilies during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on their discourse structure and text types. Employing a descriptive-qualitative approach rooted in discourse analysis, the study examines ten randomly selected homilies from an official Vatican compilation. The analysis reveals a consistent structural pattern comprising an introduction, narration, proposition, argumentation, pathetic, refutation, and conclusion. Furthermore, it discerns that the homilies predominantly exhibit characteristics of factual text, particularly the expository genre, elucidating theological insights and offering practical counsel. However, the study acknowledges limitations such as sample size and linguistic constraints, underscoring the need for careful interpretation of findings. These insights highlight the persuasive and pastoral efficacy of religious discourse during crises and emphasize avenues for future research and practical application in crisis communication and pastoral ministry.

The whirlpool of edu-business: student’s categorical judgements of entangled commercialism in an educational context

ABSTRACT The business of pedagogy, edu-business, has grown into a colossal global industry. As the phenomenon of marketisation is also intertwined with academic communities and actively contributes to the formulation of institutional culture, it is essential to examine the perceptions and understandings of future teachers and education experts regarding the intricate interplay between commerce and the educational sphere. Our research scrutinised the discursive practices employed by students pursuing degrees in education and teacher education. By using membership categorisation analysis, this study explores the articulations offered by students when describing the commercialisation of education and the strategies they employ to navigate the commodified social landscape within the field of education. This study shows how the categorisations reveal the impact of marketisation on teacher education and education in general within the broader academic context. In the results, the opportunities available to students for challenging the perception of neoliberalism as something natural, normal, and desirable within the academic community, are also pondered.

Ethnocentric Solipsism and Rhetoric of Dehumanization: A Postcolonial Reading of Imperial Hubris in Selected Colonial Novels

Supremacist projections of the Self and reductive representations of the Other have been among the foremost colonial discursive practices. The same skewed representational predilection is manifest also in colonial fictional works. The article aims to unpack the colonial discursive pattern apropos characterization that is pervasive in the selected novels: James Grant’s First Love and Last Love (1868/ 2007), Louis Tracy's The Red Year (1907/ 2020), and E.M Foster’s A Passage to India (1924/ 2021). Two of the features of colonial rhetoric are focused in the study: the creation of uncanny characters and the concoction of eerie ambiance. To regulate the argument of the study, Michael Clarke’s (2013) identification of ethnocentric solipsism and imperialism has been invoked. His ideas guide the textual analysis, facilitate interpretation, and scaffold the argument. The analysis evidences that all three novels offer uncanny portrayals of the native characters, whereas the English are glorified. Moreover, an eerie ambiance has been discursively created to invoke a sense of exoticism and mystery. Both racial and civilizational fallacies have been used in these fictional narratives to depict the desired personae and setting. The article, therefore, posits that the peculiar art of characterization is marked by the imperial hubris and unwarranted solipsism.

The Ecology of Knowledge: How the Complexity Sciences Can Explain the Peculiar Alliance between Art and Philosophy

Abstract Why is art allied with philosophy? Why are artists expected to be familiar with critical discursive practices? This paper sketches a naturalistic framework for approaching this problem by conceptualizing knowledge as a complex adaptive system. The author argues against a static image of the disciplines, as implied by Biglan’s typology, and proposes an evolving understanding of disciplinary dynamics. Based on this framework, the author suggests that art and philosophy form a communication niche maintained primarily through the positions of the critic and curator. The author questions the usefulness of this bond and advocates for the free exploration of the ecology of knowledge.

Settler teachers’ engagement with first nations content in the Australian curriculum

ABSTRACT Situated in the curriculum space created by the recent enhancements to First Nations content is the opportunity for teachers to better connect with First Nations perspectives. Using constructivist theory methodology and drawing on two studies, a small qualitative school-based study of teachers who teach in the early years of schooling, and a large-scale study of professional development across two Australian states, the paper explores teachers’ preparedness to teach First Nations content. The tenets of critical literacy frame the discussion and are positioned as reflective tools that can be used to support the ‘settler teacher’ in self-reflection. Audio-recorded transcripts of planning sessions, a teacher survey, comments from feedback forms and researcher memos form the data sets. Findings from the study necessitate discursive practices for the development of teacher knowledge, dispositions, and confidence, and highlight the imperative for teacher critical self-reflection.

Deconstructing racial code words

AbstractRacism has become more covert in post-civil rights America. Yet, measures to combat it are hindered by inadequate general knowledge on what “colorblind” race talk says and does and what makes it effective. We deepen understanding of covert racism by investigating one type of discourse – racial code words, which are (1) indirect signifiers of racial or ethnic groups that contain (2) at least one positive or negative value judgment and (3) contextually implied or salient meanings. Through a thematic analysis of 734 racial code words from 97 scholarly texts, we develop an interpretive framework that explains their tropes, linguistic mechanisms and unique roles in perpetuating racism, drawing from race, linguistic and cultural studies. Racial code words promote tropes of White people’s respectability and privilege and Racial/Ethnic Minorities’ pathology and inferiority in efficient, adaptable, plausibly deniable and almost always racially stratifying ways, often through euphemism, metonymy and othering. They construct a “colorblind” discursivity and propel both “epistemic racism” (racism in knowledge) and systemic racism (racism in action). We further strengthen applications of Critical Race Theory in sociolegal studies of race by presenting a “racial meaning decoding tool” to assist legal and societal measures to detect coded racism.

Quantum learning model based on differentiated learning in classical guidance service to improve understanding of social media ethics in students

This research aims to compile a concept of a differentiated learning-based quantum learning model in classical guidance service to improve understanding of social media ethics. Social media use is now at an alarming threshold when looking at the consequences it has. This problem arises from social media, which often grabs public attention and even becomes a national issue and a hot discussion among all people in Indonesia. So, guidance and counseling services, especially classical guidance services with a differentiated learning-based quantum learning model, are expected to increase students' understanding and prevent negative impacts due to social media. The data collection technique used by researchers is a documentation technique in which researchers trace material about the variables raised in the form of notes, articles, journals, proceedings and other research results. The data analysis technique used in this study is content analysis. This technique is used to learn the nature of objects by describing books, texts, essays, articles and all types of discourse that can be analyzed (reduction process, presentation, and conclusion). The implementation of quantum learning based on differentiated learning in classical guidance service to increase the understanding of social media ethics in students is carried out through 6 stages Among them are: 1) enroll; 2) experience; 3) label; 4) demonstrate; 5) review; and 6) celebrate. This research is expected to be a recommendation for guidance teachers to carry out guidance and counseling services, especially classical guidance services and group guidance.

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.

Towards a historical geography of girlhood

AbstractThis paper makes an argument for a geography of girlhood, located at the intersection of historical geographies of globalisation and empire on the one hand, and feminist interventions in the geography of childhood and youth on the other. A focus on girlhood, I argue, opens up a debate on the discipline's own implication in a debate on climate science, moral hierarchies of civilisation and reproductive health at which intersection the category of ‘girl’ was materialised in the 19th century. This focus extends and historicises the argument made by scholars like Nicola Ansel that geographies of childhood speak not only to intimate scales of experience ‐ such as the home and neighbourhood—but instead suggest the ways in which everyday life is implicated in the scale of the global and the geopolitical. Drawing on an inter‐disciplinary scholarship, the paper argues that debates on gender and maturity—converging on the figure of the ‘girl’—shaped raced and classed imaginaries of progress in the 19th and 20th centuries. Through this, the paper demonstrates that ‘girlhood’ is at the heart of historical geographies of urban planning, social care, and health, as well as indexing the continuities in the transition from a colonial discourse of civilisation to a mid‐20th century concern with development. Finally, the paper asks how to write about girls through an archive that is almost obsessively fixated on them as subjects of education and reform, even whilst they rarely appear in it as speaking subjects. I argue that both an emergent focus on non‐textual objects as sources, as well as the use of ephemeral material—including notes, creative writing exercises from the classroom, school diaries etc.—alongside the official archive might open the scholarship up to a multi‐scalar analysis of girlhood as imbricated in larger global and national discursive and material practices.

"Identity" in the discursive practice of contemporary socio-political movements

The rhetoric of contemporary socio-political movements often formulates its demands and arguments using the word ,,identity”, despite the lack of its clear definition. The article aims to analyze the additional meanings that ,,identity” acquires in the discursive practice of modern socio-political movements such as feminism, the LGBT movement, and environmental activism, as well as to examine the role of ,,identity” in these discourses. Research materials are classic works related to each socio-political movement. As the result the paper claimes that in feminism, the LGBT movement, and environmental activism, the word ,,identity” serves as a tool to attribute importance to aspects previously considered secondary - whether it be women, gender, or biological organisms. The search for the reasons behind such a rhetorical choice implies immersing into the theory of psychologisation of modern society (J. De Vos) and the theory of psychological power (M. Foucault).

The multimodality of Chinese folklore images

This scientific article examines the phenomenon of multimodality based on the material of Chinese folklore images. The object of the research is the images of fictional characters of Chinese folklore works, and the subject is the analysis of images of Chinese folklore works in their multimodal expression in modern adaptations. The purpose of the study is to show how modern discursive practices, characterized by a high degree of multimodality, affect the development of the concept of the image of a folklore work in the recipient's mind. The tasks that were solved within the framework of this study: 1) description of the phenomenon of multimodality in the context of modern multimedia technologies; 2) analysis of image concepts in mobile game, cartoons and TV show; 3) assessment of the influence of multimodality on the peculiarities of the development of image concepts and their perception in the recipient's mind. The methods used are the continuous sampling method for collecting the analyzed material, as well as methods of semantic, contextual and conceptual analysis. The scientific novelty of the work is due to the fact that for the first time are studied the various images of Chinese folklore works in their modern interpretation. As a result of a comprehensive analysis, the following conclusions were drawn: multimodality affects the degree of perception of an image in the recipient's mind in different ways, on the one hand, it leads to a simplification of the understanding of meanings, on the other hand, to a complication of systems for creating these meanings. One of the manifestations of this complication is the existence of a high degree of intertextuality, which can undermine perception of fictional characters, lead to the false assumption of some characters for others. The desire to get closer to the preferences of the modern viewer leads both to a slight difference in the basic features of the concepts, and to their complete opposite, which also affects the process of perception of the image. Nevertheless, despite the significant degree of adaptation of images that cause different user assessments, the social and cultural-historical processes of a dynamically changing world require compliance with the conditions of functioning of modern discursive practices.

The constitutional discursive praxis that institutes: a critical legal-political sociosemiotic of constituted and disinstituting power

Resumen El artículo propone una reflexión sociosemiótica, crítica, situada y periférica acerca del discurso (neo)constitucional que provee y sostiene la actividad de la corte constitucional en Colombia, el cual tiene efectos en la relación que las vidas y subjetividades negadas (víctimas históricas del patriarcado, del racismo y del capitalismo) sostienen con la estatalidad, y la forma en que el derecho funciona como dispositivo para el sostenimiento del orden social instituido, en detrimento de los poderes instituyentes populares, raigales y para la liberación.

Wittgenstein in the Moonlight

Abstract Wittgenstein’s claims against private language and the existence of riddles have consolidated his reputation as a philosopher of the ordinary. This article makes a case for Wittgenstein as a thinker of enigma. His understudied remarks on riddles configure the ordinary and the transcendent in a novel and counterintuitive dynamic. This constitutes Wittgenstein’s most significant contribution to the study of the ordinary: a demarcation between language as the domain of the ordinary and mystery as the realm of meaning. The intricate interrelationship of these realms animates Wittgenstein’s abiding interest in the “limits” of knowledge and his pursuit of finely calibrated modes of analysis. The leitmotif of the riddle leads us through an exploration of Wittgenstein’s mottled oeuvre and serves as an occasion to ponder the question of “the question” in philosophy (as a matter of discursive form) as well as philosophy’s approach to “answers.” Acts of reading and interpretation, associated etymologically with “riddling,” are imbued with a special urgency in Wittgenstein’s thought, which this article brings to bear on recent debates on surface reading and close reading. To scholars of the ordinary, this article offers a critical reappraisal of Wittgenstein’s contribution, and to Wittgenstein scholars a (perhaps unfamiliar) moonlit Wittgenstein.

Analyzing hate speech dynamics on Twitter/X: Insights from conversational data and the impact of user interaction patterns

This paper investigates the pervasive issue of hate speech within Twitter/X Portuguese network conversations, offering a multifaceted analysis of its characteristics. This study utilizes a mixed-method approach, combining several methodologies of network analysis (triad census and participation shifts) over the network of interaction between users. Qualitative manual content annotation was applied to the dataset to dissect different patterns of hate speech on the platform. Key findings reveal that the number of users followed by an individual and potentially reads is a relevant predictor for a user's propensity to post aggressive content. We concluded also that during a conversation thread, hate speech happens significantly more within the first 2 h of interaction. Transitivity of interactions and individual expression are considerably lower as more hate speech is prevalent in conversations. Our research confirms that hate speech is usually expressed by external individuals who intrude into conversations. Conversely, the expression of hate speech of indirect type by third parties interfering in conversations is uncommon. We also found that counter-speech discourse is strongly correlated with a type of discourse that typically avoids conflict and is not privately held.

TOURIST DISCOURSE: LINGUISTIC FEATURES (USING THE EXAMPLE OF AN UZBEK LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER “MILLIY TIKLANISH”)

This article examines the tourist discourse within the framework of itsstylistic coloring on the example of the Uzbek newspaper Milliy Tiklanish. In particular, the thematic vocabulary and gram sentences are analyzed the tic system of tenses Present (Simple, Continuous, Perfect), the use of toponyms and verbs in imperative form. The theoretical aspects related to the types, features and functions of tourist discourse as an independent type of discourse are considered.

From one-child policy to three-children initiative: a feminist critique of the population planning policies in China

Abstract This article examines the continuity of heteropatriarchal discourse within China’s population policies, focusing on the transition from the one-child policy to the current three-children initiative, and women’s responses to these official narratives. Through the lens of Foucauldian bio-politics, the study explores how discursive practices surrounding family planning policy are manipulated to sustain authoritarian rule, linking it with loyalty to the state and fostering an anti-feminist support base that attributes collective feminist movements to “excessive education.” The “optimization” of the family planning policy is analyzed as a discursive construct that conceals dehumanizing policies reducing women to mere reproductive machines, and portraying children solely as future labor force. This paper argues that the digital feminist movement in China is sustained by women’s constant engagement with, and resistance against official narratives that co-opt feminism to serve the state’s bio-political agenda of managing and controlling the female body.