What is … Discourse Analysis?

1. What is … Discourse Analysis? Stephanie Taylor The Open University

2. Discourse Analysis: starting points • Research approach • Language material (e.g. talk, written text) • Evidence of social phenomena (beyond the individual)

3. Transcription • Talk -> written text • Transcription notation • Features e.g. repeated words, emphasis, intonation • Best known system by Gail Jefferson (often revised)

4. Places of residence: some possibilities for discourse analysis • Address details

5. Places of residence: some possibilities for discourse analysis • Address details • Interview transcripts

6. Extract INT: Right So what do you value most then about where you live now? P: Living here now um Safe I mean safety is actually Is important um Although we’re living in London we’re quite here in particular we’re very close to the river we’ve got lots of parks um It is built up but it’s But it’s quite but there’s quite a bit of space around I think from that point of view of living in [placename] area we’re very fortunate to have lots of royal parks and we’re very close to the to the river as well It’s close to central London so that should we want to use museums and the theatres eccetera we can we can do that Stephanie Taylor (2010) Narratives of Identity and Place London: Routledge.

7. Extract INT: Right So what do you value most then about where you live now? P: Living here now um Safe I mean safety is actually Is important um Although we’re living in London we’re quite here in particular we’re very close to the river we’ve got lots of parks um It is built up but it’s But it’s quite but there’s quite a bit of space around I think from that point of view of living in [placename] area we’re very fortunate to have lots of royal parks and we’re very close to the to the river as well It’s close to central London so that should we want to use museums and the theatres eccetera we can we can do that Stephanie Taylor (2010) Narratives of Identity and Place London: Routledge.

8. Findings from the analysis • Patterns in the data (‘discourses’, ‘interpretative repertoires’, ‘discursive resources’) e.g. references to possibilities, what you can do

9. Extract 2 INT: So what do you value most about where you’re living now can you say that? P: Um It’s a variety Of things that are available in that environment it’s just everything is so easy to get to from there um And any kind of resources that I might need to have are very easily obtainable there either from going to shops or getting places to bring stuff to us or finding information as well….[placename] is a is a whole huge market area with kind of fashion and art and theatre and there’s so much there you know that’s interesting that you can just kind of have a look round It kind of feels as if you’re in touch with with what’s going on there whereas other other places I’ve lived ‘ve felt a bit kind of samey um High Street stuff and nothing kind of um I don’t know Not the same kind of individuality…

10. Extract 2 INT: So what do you value most about where you’re living now can you say that? P: Um It’s a variety Of things that are available in that environment it’s just everything is so easy to get to from there um And any kind of resources that I might need to have are very easily obtainable there either from going to shops or getting places to bring stuff to us or finding information as well….[placename] is a is a whole huge market area with kind of fashion and art and theatre and there’s so much there you know that’s interesting that you can just kind of have a look round It kind of feels as if you’re in touch with with what’s going on there whereas other other places I’ve lived ‘ve felt a bit kind of samey um High Street stuff and nothing kind of um I don’t know Not the same kind of individuality…

11. Assumptions • Selective description (construction) • Shaped for purpose (function) • Speaking ‘as’ a certain person (positioning) • Partly rehearsed (version)

12. Talk is social: (i) Shaped by shared resources

13. Talk is social: (i) Shaped by shared resources (ii) Situated, in context(s)

14. Talk is social: (i) Shaped by shared resources (ii) Situated, in context(s) (iii) A social practice

15. Places of residence: possible material for discourse analysis • Address details • Interviews • ‘Naturally occurring talk’ e.g. mediation session

16. Extract 2, mediation: initial interview 1 G: y’know it’s getting- it’s getting real serious this is (.)but the 2 lad keeps getting away with it (.) unfortunately (.) his mother hasn’t 3 got a bloke there (.) so she is talking in [front of the children 4 L: [she’s not living there half 5 the time is she= 6 G: =no she’s out at night and they are using it as a- a rendezvous for the 7 gang […] 8 G: that’s the whole top [and bottom of it 9 L: [it’s like the dustbin left out for a week (?) on 10 [the pavement Elizabeth H. Stokoe (2003) ‘Mothers, Single Women and Sluts: Gender, Morality and Membership Categorization in Neighbour Disputes’ Feminism & Psychology 2003 13(3) 317-344.

17. Findings • Complaints about neighbours are gendered • Categorization of women in moral terms

18. Premises • Society is constituted through ongoing practices (made and remade) • Talk as a social practice • Categorizations of women as a form of talk which reinforces a gendered social order

19. What is discourse analysis? (1) The study of well-established meanings or ideas around a topic which shape how we can talk about it

20. What is discourse analysis? (1) The study of well-established meanings or ideas around a topic which shape how we can talk about it e.g. ‘discourses of education’, ‘discourses of health and illness’, ‘discourses of place’

21. Possible problem: • Too static?

22. What is discourse analysis? (1) The study of well-established meanings or ideas around a topic which shape how we can think and talk about it (2) The study of how meanings are established, used, challenged and changed (including in talk)

23. The study of how meanings are established, used, challenged and changed (including in talk) • Over time (‘genealogical study’ Foucault)

24. The study of how meanings are established, used, challenged and changed (including in talk) • Over time (‘genealogical study’ Foucault) • In ordinary life (discourse practices)

25. Summary • What is discourse analysis?

26. Two definitions: (1) The study of well-established meanings or ideas around a topic which shape how we can talk about it (2) The study of how meanings are established, used, challenged and changed (including in talk)

27. Why analyse discourse? • To understand our social worlds and their complexity • To understand the implications of certain meanings and world views • To understand ourselves within our social worlds

28. What kinds of data? • Language data (written, spoken - found, collected) • Other kinds of evidence (images, behaviours, situations – found, collected)

29. Criticisms of discourse analytic research: • Deterministic? (But also about how meanings are used and contested) • Just words? (But discourse is material)

30. Why do discourse analysis? • Varied possibilities • Interesting • About people and their social worlds

31. Dr Stephanie Taylor, The Open University s.j.a.taylor@open.ac.uk