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Fairclough posits that discourse is “used in general sense for language (as well
as, for instance, visual images) as an element of social life which is dialectically related
analysis. Fairclough sees discourse analysis as “analysis of how texts work within
social practices” (1995). This approach emphasizes detailed linguistic analysis of texts.
Discourse analysis looks at real and often extended instances of social interaction that
take the form of language, completely or partially. CDA involves an analysis of how
focuses on how social power abuse, dominance, and inequality are enacted,
reproduced, and resisted by text and talk in both social and political contexts. The
result of the analysis may be the understanding, exposing and resistance of social
Wodak (2004) asserted that CDA sees discourse such as language used in
speech and writing as a form of “social practice.” Discourse as social practice entails a
institution(s) and social structure(s), which frame it: the discursive event is shaped by
Fairclough and Wodak (1997) summarize the main tenets of CDA as follows:
1. CDA addresses social problems
5. Discourse is historical
1. It should focus primarily on social problems and political issues, rather than
society.
In analyzing, one must also be familiar with the micro and macro level of text
and talk. Language use, discourse, verbal interaction, and communication belong to
the microlevel of the social order. CDA has to theoretically bridge the well-known “gap”
the semantics, syntactic, stylistic and rhetoric aspects. The use of words, proposition,
and certain rhetoric in media is understood by Van Dijk as the part of the writer’s
strategy. The use of certain words, sentences, and stylistic is not only viewed as the
common premise, create the backing, strengthen legitimate, and evacuate the
On the other hand, power, dominance, and inequality between social groups are
typically terms that belong to a macrolevel of analysis. The meaning of discourse is not
limited to the meaning of its words and sentences. Discourse also has more 'global'
meanings, such as 'topics' or 'themes'. Such topics represent the gist or most important
information of a discourse, and tell us what a discourse 'is about', globally speaking.
A central notion in most critical work on discourse is that of power, and more
specifically the social power of groups or institutions. Groups have (more or less)
power if they are able to (more or less) control the acts and minds of (members of)
other groups. This ability presupposes a power base of privileged access to scarce
“culture,” or indeed various forms of public discourse and communication (of the vast
literature on power, see, the more or less persuasive power of parents, professors, or
journalists may be based on knowledge, information, or authority. Note also that power
is seldom absolute. Groups may more or less control other groups, or only control them
in specific situations or social domains. Moreover, dominated groups may more or less
resist, accept, condone, comply with, or legitimate such power, and even find it
“natural.”
If we are able to influence people’s minds, e.g. their knowledge or opinions, we
indirectly may control (some of) their actions, as we know from persuasion and
manipulation. Closing the discourse–power circle, finally, this means that those groups
who control most influential discourse also have more chances to control the minds
Simplifying these very intricate relationships even further for this chapter, we
can split up the issue of discursive power into two basic questions for CDA research:
2. How does such discourse control mind and action of (less) powerful groups,
and
3. What are the social consequences of such control, such as social inequality?
The implications of this approach for the study of the ideological influence of
representation of recipients. That is, whether or not, and how, people are
influenced by talk and text also depends on what they already know and
believe.
2. Discourse understanding not only involves the processing of structures of text
and talk, but also, and very crucially, those of the context as it is subjectively
function of the contents and structures of ongoing context models. One well-
that discourses have an influence on evaluative beliefs only when they are at
and socially shared opinions. The first are represented in both event models
Besides verbal discourse also other semiotic messages (images, photos, movies,
etc.) as well as other social practices may have ideological 'effects' on social members.
observation, interaction and watching movies, and not just by male ingroup talk and
text about women. Yet, in the test of this book, I shall take such other semiotic and
'practical influences for granted and focus on discourse, with the understanding that the
manipulation, with strategies that manage or control the mind of the public at large, and
with attempts to thus manufacture the consent or fabricate a consensus in the interests
of those in power. 1. Indeed, modem power and ideological hegemony are precisely
consent, so that people will act as desired out of their own free will. In that case, power
and dominance will seem natural, legitimate and commonsensical, and will be taken for
much more detailed study of the social, cognitive and discursive elements of the
not or barely aware, or of which they cannot easily control the consequences. Models
are constructed of events in a way that has implications for the construction of shared
social representations people have about the world, which in turn influence the
management of social cognitions and models for discourse and other social practices,
ideological control and compliance are the ultimate goal of hegemony. We have seen
how specific discourse structures and strategies, such as the control of topics, style or
interaction strategies, may have such influences on models and other representations
of the mind. Because of such discursive properties, knowledge about events will he
incomplete or biased in favor of speakers or their ingroup, and this may affect more
general knowledge about the world. Even more crucially, this is the case for the
outgroups seems the most 'natural' or conclusion from the models as persuasively
controlled by discourse.