European University Viadrina

To Viadrina students in Frankfurt/Oder, Germany: welcome! Scroll down for more information on the seminar in the summer semester 2008 or click on the "student papers" page for sample research papers from previous discourse seminars.

Media, knowledge, environment: An introduction to discourse theory

Course: Media, knowledge and the environment: An introduction to discourse theory

Lecturer: Felicitas Macgilchrist

Semester: Summer semester 2008

Participants: BA Kulturwissenschaften (Social Sciences, Linguistics)

Level: Advanced Bachelors (Vertiefung)

Room: AM 203 

Dates: NB. Changed dates. Theoretical basics: 2 - 4pm, Thursdays, 17 April, 24 April, 8 May, 15 May and 22 May. Block 1: 11am - 4.30pm, Friday 30 May. Block 2: 11am - 4.30pm, Friday 20 June and Saturday 21 June

Overview: This research-based seminar explores the basic assumption of discourse analysis that language does not neutrally reflect the world, but rather actively creates, maintains and transforms our knowledge(s), identities and social relations. The first phase introduces key concepts in poststructuralist discourse analysis (e.g., social constructionism, hegemony, contingency, identity, dislocation, social imaginary, power/knowledge, intentional fallacy). The second phase uses tools of linguistically-sensitive discourse analysis to conduct a broad-ranging analysis of two films which construct conflicting knowledges about climate change. Analysis will touch on questions of scientific knowledge, social semiotics and environmental politics. Although generally based on discussion and groupwork, a lecture in the first session will place discourse analysis in relation to other social and linguistic theories.

Analysis: We will analyse and compare two films. Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, and Martin Durkin's Great Global Warming Swindle (first presented on Channel 4 in the UK).

Assessment

Regular and active participation is expected. Assessment is based on (i) ‘thought papers’ on the readings (per email), (iii) a brief literature review on climate research, and (iii) an individual research paper following our joint analysis of the two films.

The first 'thought email' (on Kenneth Gergen) is due before midnight, Tues 22 April.

Readings

A reader with the following texts is available from Kopier Fritze.

Background reading: Graddol, David (1994). Three models of language description. In David Graddol and Oliver Boyd-Barrett (eds.), Media Texts: Authors and Readers 1-21. Clevedon: Open University.

Gergen, Kenneth J. (1999). Invitation to Social Construction. London: Sage, pp. 1-32.

Foucault, Michel (1976). The Will to Knowledge: The history of sexuality Vol I. London: Penguin, pp. 92-102.

Bagdikian, Ben H. (2004). The New Media Monopoly. Boston: Beacon Press, pp. 1-26.

Howarth, David and Stavrakakis, Yannis (2000). Introducing discourse theory and political analysis. In David Howarth, Aletta J. Norval and Yannis Stavrakakis (eds.), Discourse Theory and Political Analysis: Identities, hegemonies and social change 1-23. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Laclau, Ernesto (1993). Discourse. In Robert Goodin, E. and Philip Pettit (eds.), A Companion to Contemporary Political Philosophy 431-438. Oxford: Blackwell.

de Saussure, Ferdinand (1983 [1916]). Course in General Linguistics. Chicago: Open Court, pp. 65-69 and 118-125.

Butler, Judith (1990). Gender Trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity. London: Routledge, pp. 3-44.

Stavrakakis, Yannis (2005). Passions of identification: Discourse, enjoyment, and European identity. In David Howarth and Jacob Torfing (Eds.), Discourse Theory in European Politics: Identity, Policy and Governance 68-92. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Milonas, Yiannis (2007). Crisis, Conspiracy and Rights: Imaginaries of Terrorism in Documentary Film.  CADAAD ejournal 96-117.

Iedema, Rick (2001). Analysing film and television: a social semiotic account of Hospital: An Unhealthy Business. In Theo van Leeuwen and Carey Jewitt (eds.), Handbook of Visual Analysis 183-204. London: Sage.

O'Halloran, Kay L. (2004). Visual Semiosis in Film. In Kay L. O'Halloran (ed.), Multimodal Discourse Analysis: Systemic-Functional Perspectives 109-30. London: Continuum.

Kitzinger, Jenny (1999). A sociology of media power: key issues in audience reception research. In Greg Philo (ed.), Message Received 3-20. Harlow: Longman.

Your own research on climate change.

Hajer, Maarten A. (2005). Coalitions, practices, and meaning in environmental politics: From acid rain to BSE. In David Howarth and Jacob Torfing (Eds.), Discourse Theory in European Politics: Identity, Policy and Governance 297-315. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Stavrakakis, Yannis (2000). On the emergence of Green ideology: The dislocation factor in Green politics. In David Howarth, Aletta J. Norval and Yannis Stavrakakis (eds.), Discourse Theory and Political Analysis: Identities, hegemonies and social change 100-118. Manchester: Manchester University Press.