Digitally mediated communication

This chapter will begin by considering what is unique about digitally mediated discourse, but will also outline some of the continuities with other forms of discourse. It will present the basic tenets of three main frameworks (which also overlap to a considerable extent): computer-mediated discourse analysis (based on the work of Herring, e.g. 2004), discourse-centred online ethnography (based on Androutsopoulos 2008) and critical approaches to digitally mediated-discourse (based on KhosraviNik & Unger 2016, also called social media critical discourse studies in KhosraviNik’s more recent work, e.g. 2017). It will then go on to suggest how elements of each can be adopted to form a coherent methodology in investigations in digital media contexts. The ethical issues specific to digital media research will be discussed in some detail, with reference to examples of different approaches to e.g. anonymization, inclusion of usernames/identities, and inclusion of verbatim data. Towards the end of the chapter, a case study of the US politician Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez’s tweets will illustrate how how to carry out an achievable investigation into digitally mediated discourse that nevertheless draws on the latest theoretical and methodological insights in more advanced scholarly work

Language testing in the ‘hostile environment’:The discursive construction of ‘secure English language testing’ in the United Kingdom

In parallel with an increased focus on border security in immigration and citizenship policy in the United Kingdom (the so-called ‘hostile environment’ policy), Government-approved English language tests for visa and immigration purposes were officially labelled ‘Secure English Language Tests’ (SELTs) in 2010. The proximity of security concerns in language testing with broader national immigration policy objectives suggests a complex role for language tests as gatekeeping devices. This paper draws on critical discourse studies to explore this issue. Documents provided in the 2014 tender round for selecting Secure English Language Tests (acquired through a Freedom of Information request) were analysed through a discourse-historical lens (Reisigl & Wodak 2016) to map salient topics and identify discursive strategies used to construct ‘secure English language testing’. Findings show that security is a prominent topic in the tender; prospective bidders are required to meet detailed security requirements and to police sub-contractors, and social actors, spaces, objects, policies and procedures are routinely described in securitized terms. Implications are drawn for understanding the role of language tests within broader securitization processes

Rebranding the Scottish Executive:a discourse-historical analysis

This paper examines the change in name of the devolved governing body of Scotland from the Scottish Executive (1999-2007) to the Scottish Government (2007-present) following the majority result for the Scottish National Party in the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections. In the wider European political landscape this is unusual: while ministries, departments and even political parties change their names relatively frequently, the same cannot be said for top-level political institutions. This paper investigates this discursive act of ‘rebranding’ from a discourse-historical perspective (see Reisigl and Wodak 2009). In addition to critical analysis of various texts about the act of rebranding itself (media reports, political speeches and parliamentary debates, policy documents), the historical, cultural and political contexts are examined in relation to the wider significance of this move for top-down Scottish national identity construction

The discursive construction of the Scots language:education, politics and everyday life

This monograph is about how the Scots language is discursively constructed, both from ‘above’ (through texts such as educational policies, debates in parliament and official websites) and from ‘below’ (in focus group discussions among Scottish people). It uses the interdisciplinary discourse-historical approach to critical discourse analysis to examine what discursive strategies are used in different texts, and also to investigate salient features of context. This allows a broader discussion of the role of this language in Scotland, and how different ways of constructing a language can percolate through society, appearing in both important, elite texts and discussions among ordinary people. It thus contributes to the body of knowledge about contemporary Scots, but also expands the range of possible applications for critical discourse analysis approaches

The discursive construction of Scots

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Diffuse Consecration : How Modes of Authorship Shape Literary Prizes

This article takes a fresh look at the Bourdieusian notion of consecration by applying a mixed methods approach to the way authorship unfolds around the Nobel Prize. Drawing on both conceptual literary history and corpus-assisted discourse analysis, the case study of Herta Müller’s ‘unexpected’ win in 2009 is taken as a starting point for establishing how different ‘modes of authorship’ play out in different contexts and at different scales. Conceptually speaking, ‘modes of authorship’ develop further Jérôme Meizoz’s work on ‘literary posture’, expressing how multiple actors, human and non- human alike, convey attitude within the networks that cohere around literature. Media coverage of Müller’s win at different points in time and place, together with paratextual material that pre- and post-dates the Nobel award, is mined to extract a set of data that evidences certain expectations around the modes of authorship that are likely to map on to Nobel winners. This article thereby develops its own empirical evidence to argue that the scandals that periodically ensue when an ‘unlikely’ author wins point to a much more diffuse notion of consecration than traditional field theory allows. This is best captured through a network-inspired ontology of authorship than through the inferential approaches more standardly offered by literary theory

The Religion of Unbelief is One : Understanding Violent Extremist Discourse from a Linguistic Perspective

Past scholarly literature discussing violent extremist ideologies has been well-documented. Although these studies have managed to point out what the ideologies are, with discussions of the general strategies used (e.g. holy texts taken out of context, the binary ‘good vs evil’ narrative), not so much of attention has been on how these strategies are executed and why. Therefore, in this article we attempt to address this gap by using a linguistic approach, specifically the critical discursive analysis to discuss the multimodal elements (textual, auditory and visual features) used to construct certain ideologies. Understanding the historical, political or social contexts of the elements used may help to demystify the ideologies of the group under study (Daesh) and help to better understand the ways these contexts have been manipulated to appeal to the target audiences. To do this, Reisigl and Wodak’s (2016) discourse-historical approach (DHA) to critical discourse studies is employed. Significant findings include Daesh’s enemies being projected as aggressors and warmongers that provoke hostilities in the so-called Islamic State, as well as the negative representation of the wider Muslims which contradicts the typical “us vs. them” dichotomy. Ultimately, this research aims to further a detailed understanding of digitally mediated recruitment strategies from a linguistic perspective which may help to reduce the risk of radicalisation among vulnerable groups

SHOUTING AT THE TELEVISION: ARGUMENTATION STRATEGIES IN SECOND SCREEN SOCIAL MEDIA USE FOR CHILEAN POLITICAL TV SHOWS

In this paper we argue that research into “second-screening” during political TV shows is a useful way of examining broader social trends in politics and society. Using a critical discourse studies framework and drawing on the theoretical frameworks developed by Erving Goffman and Murray Edelman, we compare the argumentation strategies used in tweets related to four Chilean TV shows: Estado Nacional and Ciudadanos, which display tweets on screen during the programme, and Entrevista Verdadera and El Informante, which do not display tweets. The analysis shows that in the tweets related to shows that engage viewers directly by displaying their tweets, viewers directly address the guests and political figures in their tweets, and draw on multimodal resources (infographics, images and videos) and hyperlinks as a form of “evidence” by using _topoi_ (argumentative shortcuts) related to numbers and authority. On the other hand, the tweets from shows that do not directly engage viewers use different strategies to build their arguments, such as taboo language and visual memes, usually used to make _ad hominem_ attacks. We argue that these differing engagement practices by media organisations have the potential to shape the public sphere in particular ways and also require some reconsideration of the boundaries of politics as an object of investigation in social sciences and humanities research

Die Goethe-Bildnisse

DIE GOETHE-BILDNISSE Die Goethe-Bildnisse ( - ) Einband ( - ) Titelseite (III) Vorwort. (V) Inhalt. (IX) Die Haupt-Bildnisse Goethe's als Einzelblätter in diesem Werke. (XII) Einleitung (1) Die Goethe-Bildnisse I-CX (17) Abb.: Goethe. Nach dem Gyps-Medaillon von Johann Peter Melchior. ([1]) Abb.: Goethe. Nach dem Oelgemälde von Georg Oswald May. ([2]) Abb.: Goethe. Nach der Marmorbüste von Alexander Trippel. ([3]) Abb.: Goethe. Nach der Original-Zeichnung von Johann Heinrich Lips. ([4]) Abb.: Goethe. Nach dem Oelgemälde von Ferd. Jagemann. ([5]) Abb.: Goethe. Nach dem Oelgemälde von Franz Gerhard von Kügelgen. ([6]) Abb.: Goethe. Nach der Original-Zeichnung von Ferd. Jagemann. ([7]) Abb.: Goethe. Nach Christian Daniel Rauch's Marmorbüste. ([8]) Abb.: Goethe. Nach dem Oelgemälde von J. K. Stieler. ([9]) Abb.: Goethe. Nach der Original-Zeichnung von C. A. Schwerdgeburth. ([10]) Nachtrag. (286) Übersicht der Original-Bildnisse Goethe's nach den Kunst-Arten. (297) Alphabetisches Verzeichniss der Künstler (302) Druckvermerk ( - ) Einlage ( -