Research Proposal on "Discourse Analysis Politics"

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Research Proposal 18 pages (5584 words) Sources: 15

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Linguistic Politics and the Reinforcement of Social Power Hierarchies

Discussion of language and how it functions socially. This section is meant to stimulate the readers interest and will raise the critical questions which my paper addresses.

Language has the potential to be a deeply powerful instrument when wielded to political, social or hierarchical interests. Distinct power structures are implicated in the nuances of linguistic communication, from the selection of words to the semantics of context; from the seemingly simple colloquialisms which reflect cultural in-groups and out-groups to the complex interactions between differing linguistic traditions; from the imposition of a set of normative cultural terminologies to the construction of meanings centered on certain inherencies within a culture. Indeed, must is as stake in the way our public officials, world leaders, celebrities and peers speak to one another and through forms of mass communication.

At its most basic level, this discussion aims to evaluate power as a function of linguistic characteristics within a culture. Therefore, it is implied that political, economic and social realities do share a close relationship with linguistic traditions. Moreover, we can deduce that individuals and organizations in roles of power or leadership will tend to project specific uses of the language which carry meanings that are both explicit and implied. The latter such meanings may hinge on a whole host of contextualizing factors which include the originator of the message, the sector in which it is spoken (such as professional, private or familial) and the situational context which had invoked the initia

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l delivery of the message.

In order to demonstrate this, the research conducted here is primarily geared toward the argument that linguistically-based power-structures can have the impact not just of manipulating cultural realities but indeed, of fully subverting one culture in favor of another. The account hereafter will first examine some of the semantics that shape the use of language in practical terms. Subsequent to establishing this foundation for a proper discourse analysis, the research will turn to consideration of the role which linguistic power structures have played in imposing cultural dominance from one party to another. Indeed, the central thesis of this research is that linguistic dominance can be used as a powerful instrument in subverting, and even exterminating a less powerful or stable linguistic tradition, as demonstrating by the linguistic genocide perpetrated by European colonialists in the spread of English and Spanish throughout the so-called 'New World.'

II. Introduction of the theory and methods of discourse analysis; with brief examples and discussion.

Before proceeding to an examination of these claims which tie linguistic traditions to patterns of imperialism, the use of the term 'New World' serves as an ideal segue into a discussion on the discursive semantics of linguistic politics. Indeed, the term 'New World' inherently takes a distinctly European and decidedly ethnocentric stance on characterizing the continents today known as North and South America. As we know today, these are lands which were vastly inhabited by rich and varied peoples erroneously referred to as Indians by their European conquerors. Like the term 'New World,' the term Indians reflects a Europeanized perspective of entitlement to name that which it encountered according to a distinctly European experience. So we can see that semantics play a significant part in the way that political power structures come to be formulated. Or as Uszkoreit (1996) observes, "according to the intentional approaches the coherence of discourse derives from the intentions of speakers and writers, and understanding depends on recognition of those intentions." (Uszkoreit, 6)

In this case, the intention of the term 'New World' was to suggest that it has only then been discovered by man. Accordingly, we may perceive that the colonists settling here perceived that their relationship with the land -- rendering it new -- transcended the relationship of those who had long-inhabited it. This is a proper initiation to both aspects of the research conducted hereafter, which first identifies some of the realities shaping language usage and the formation of meanings and subsequently addresses the role of language in creating cultural hierarchies, sometimes to devastating effect.

At its most basic, language is a complex symbiosis of verbal and nonverbal cues used to convey information within and across cultures. One inherent effect of the continued use and unconscious collective exploration of its prospects for usage is the reduction of formality in its everyday implementation. The needs for economy, for familiarity and for personal expression have together had the effect of enabling individuals to achieve a diversity of meanings and linguistic expressive tendencies within the context of a shared communication framework such as a language or dialect. Our research suggests that it might be sensible to "view the constant evolution of new words and new uses of old words as a reassuring sign of vitality and creativeness in the way a language is shaped by the needs of its users" (Yule, 53) That is to suggest that there is a close coordination between the ways in which words are used and contextualized and their intended effect. As desired effects such as expediency or the conveyance of a certain personality trait are sought, so are decisions made regarding desired word choice and informal adaptations thereof. Understanding these realities requires a discourse analysis such as the one which is applied here to the conditions of linguistic expression, both semantically and in the context of particular political and social systems.

This speaks to our instinctual use and comprehension of words which are created by the processes of blending and clipping. Word economy is a common trait of informal linguistic communication and even the word choice more commonly used in the professional setting today, where there is a high premium on conciseness but linguistic decisions that are simultaneously comprehensible to a common denominator of recipients. Blended and clipped terms are those derived by the abbreviated conglomeration of two words and those derived from longer terms, respectively. In each case, there is a resident familiarity to the words which form the basis for the hybrid or truncated terms, with our collective consciousness possessing some registered awareness of the automatic process which resulted in their combining or shortening. This is how we come to understand almost automatically the meanings created therein.

These types of simplifications of language appear at their root to be fundamentally benign. But in another way, the creation of famliar and informal uses for language and the extension of their normalcy is a subtle way of promoting a specific cultural reality which is unified by specific linguistic patterns. Indeed, this stimulates the formulation of a cultural in-group which comes to achieve its own symbolic and metaphorical meanings through the reinforcement of linguistic norms. As Zinken (2003) finds, "research in cognitive linguistics has brought rich evidence of the enormous influence that body experience has on (metaphorical) conceptualization." (Zinken, 507) This is to say that one's cultural experience which play a particular role in how well one comprehends bended and clipped terms or symbolic abstractions that have achieved normative status within a culture. In turn, this may prefigure the ability of one to make entrance into the culture itself.

With blending, the goal is quite often to respond to the creation of some new object, process or amenity which demonstrates shared characteristics of a number of already existing and well-known concepts. For example, we may cite combination of the words television and broadcast has forged the word telecast. Without very much background in multi-media, an average person having never heard the term may likely be able to intuit the word's basic meaning as a broadcast on televisions. Though a novel term, its basis in two common and mutually understood words with well-established and collectively accepted meanings render it an easily deductible term for those with a competent working knowledge of the basic English language.

Clipping is essentially a process by which abbreviated expressions of words come to replace their lengthier originating terms. Thus, many of the terms which are held in our lexicon as full words, are in fact the result of a need for the convenient abridging of communicative expression.

Interestingly, in many cases of clipping, the words which have been thereby produced are far more familiar and frequently used than their roots. Such is evident in the terms selected as examples by the Yule text as cab, which is a shortened term used for the cabriolet. This latter term is now scarcely seen in casual discourse, with the clarity and inherent preferable nature of its one syllable substitute having long supplanted it as the more instantaneously understood word.

This suggests much about the way that we appear to almost naturally understand such words as members of a cultural in-group. Their adoption as a natural consequence of the desires inherent in the process of human communication illustrates that they are not necessarily spontaneously produced on a whim by one inflective user. Rather, we may more accurately understand that such terms are reflective of some inherent need within the language. Whether the need is… READ MORE

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Quoted Instructions for "Discourse Analysis Politics" Assignment:

“

***** Here is what I have submitted to my prof; and also I have included a copy of the course syllabus (p.4-9) and list of some resources/ a working bib.(p. 2-3) (Ignore the page numbers though; they aren*****t special.) *******

Plagiarism is not tolerated in my course or institution and the paper will be run through plagiarism software; so please ensure none of the paper is plagiarized.

Please email to:

doubletuck911@aol.com

sorbet96@gmail.com

sorbet96@yahoo.com

I can provide more/alternate email addresses if needed; please let me know if you require them; I would like to receive my paper on time and I understand there can be complications.

My research paper addresses the power of language. The theory and methods of performing discourse analysis will be considered, as well as larger questions concerning how language functions in society and why it is important. My paper will examine discourse used in politics in a variety of ways. The primary sources I have consulted are books and articles; and my research process entails broad research on the topic followed by a narrowing of the scope to address specific questions as I progress through and construct my argument schema.

I suppose my working thesis at this time would simply be that language is powerful, and can be used to influence and manipulate the thought processes and actions of others when constructed and expressed strategically, especially in politics.

Working Outline:

I. Discussion of language and how it functions socially. This section is meant to stimulate the readers interest and will raise the critical questions which my paper addresses.

II. Introduction of the theory and methods of discourse analysis; with brief examples and discussion.

III. Discussion of how manipulation of language can mean power in our society; followed by close examination of several longer examples (political speeches, propaganda, campaign advertisements).

** My instructor comments were to find my central argument and the sub arguments that support it. **

Possible Argument: that a politicians speech conveys a message to the listener that is deceptive and misleads the listener into interpreting the speech in a way which is incorrect/untrue.(???)

********Thank you so much!!!!********

Mel

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Page 2-3

Sources:

Brammer, Charlotte. "Analyzing political discourse: Theory and practice." Language 82.3 (Sep. 2006): 674-675. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 14 Sep. 2009 .

Brown, Gillian. Speakers, Listeners and Communication. New York, NY: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 1995. Print.

Bull, Peter, Anita Fetzer, and Marjut Johansson. "Prologue: Analyzing the Fine Details of Political Commitment." Journal of Language & Social Psychology 27.4 (Dec. 2008): 324-332. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 12 Sep. 2009 <>.

Condor, Susan, and Antaki, Charles. "Social Cognition and Discourse." Discourse as Structure and Process. 1. (1997): 320-348. Print.

Erkazanci DurmuÅŸ, Hilal. "Political Discourse in the Media: Cross-Cultural Perspectives." Discourse & Society 20.1 (Jan. 2009): 179-182. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 10 Sep. 2009 .

Gee, James Paul. An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Routledge, 2005. Print.

Harris, Zellig. Mathematical Structures of Language. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1968. Print.

Levinson, ***** H. "Examining Five *****Over/Under- Defined***** Terms used in American Political Discourse." ETC: A Review of General Semantics 65.2 (Apr. 2008): 134-140. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 14 Sep. 2009 .

Llewellyn, Nick. "Arguing against absent arguables: organizing audience participation in political discourse." Discourse Studies 8.5 (Oct. 2006): 603-625. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 14 Sep. 2009 .

Phouliaraki, Lilie. "Political discourse in the news: democratizing responsibility or aestheticizing politics?." Discourse & Society 11.3 (July 2000): 293. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 12 Sep. 2009 .

Shenhav, Shaul R. "Thin and thick narrative analysis: On the question of defining and analyzing political narratives." Narrative Inquiry 15.1 (Jan. 2005): 75-99. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 13 Sep. 2009 .

Simon, Adam F., and Jennifer Jerit.. "Toward a Theory Relating Political Discourse, Media, and Public Opinion." Journal of Communication 57.2 (June 2007): 254-271. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 14 Sep. 2009 .

Uszkoreit, Hans. "Discourse and Dialogue." Survey of the State of the Art in Human Language Technology. 1996. Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology: Center for spoken Language Understanding, Web. 08 Sep 2009 < http://cslu.cse.ogi.edu/HLTsurvey/ch6node1.html>.

Westerhuis, Diane. "Analyzing Political Discourse: Theory and Practice." Discourse & Society 17.3 (May 2006): 421-423. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 14 Sep. 2009.

Zinken, JÃ¶rg. "Ideological imagination: intertextual and correlational metaphors in political discourse." Discourse & Society 14.4 (July 2003): 507-523. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. 13 Sep. 2009 .

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COURSE SYLLABUS

Department of English

ENGL498

Senior Seminar in English

Three Credit Hours

Prerequisites:

This course should be scheduled after completion of all required and core courses in the BA in English degree path.

Course Description:

The culminating point of an undergraduate*****s career, this senior course offers students the rhetorical knowledge and research practices needed to write and to research successfully in any discourse community within which they might find themselves*****•as students, professionals, and citizens. While university students are projected to make several career changes within their working lifetimes, these transitions and the challenges of their complex personal and public lives will require critical thinking skills and informed flexibility. This course is designed to polish students***** writing, analytical, and English skills so that they may confidently confront the challenges and demands of specialized research and written communication. According to their affinity, seniors are invited to pursue literary interests in the compositions of this course, and conduct research in other academic or professional areas. This course will provide students with the opportunity to complete an approved academic research exercise that demonstrates knowledge of a selected field of study.

Course Scope:

Building upon the research and writing skills, acquired during your undergraduate career, you will conduct an advanced research project and compose a senior thesis. Through the completion of this thesis, you will refining skills first practiced in other courses: information literacy, research, analysis, critical thinking, rhetorical structure, composition (to include introductions and conclusions, practicing smooth and organized paragraph development, creating insightful thesis statements, using Standard English grammar, and learning to avoid basic sentence-structure errors).

Course Objectives:

Throughout this course, you will be conducting research on a subject of great interest to you and work very closely with your professor, one-on-one, in order to realize this research project. The course objectives are as follows:

ï‚· demonstrate critical and creative thinking in the conduct and design of this study

ï‚· understand the context of the thesis in the university and structure your arguments accordingly

ï‚· conduct scholarly research in the university in order to contribute new knowledge to your field

ï‚· cite, analyze, refute, and synthesize findings from diverse, academic sources

ï‚· use MLA documentation style and create MLA Works Cited pages

ï‚· develop, compose, and support your assertions in the context of an extended research project

ï‚· construct a structured paper with a proper introduction, conclusion, body paragraphs, transitions.

ï‚· perfect English grammar and mechanics

Course Delivery:

In this course, the student will work closely with a mentor to realize a mini-dissertation, or a senior-thesis of approximately 20-30 pages. The subject should be one of great interest to the student such that the student will experience enthusiasm in the conduct of their studies. To this end, the subject can be of academic, professional or personal relevance to the student. In any case, the writing should be of a high academic caliber and the research drawn from credible, objective, scholarly sources.

The student will embark with his or her professor through the stages of coming to terms with the research already published on this topic, defining the study, conducting the research, forming an argument, and supporting the argument with proper MLA documentation, analysis, arguments, rhetoric, illustration and appeals (ethos, logos, pathos).

The instructor will support students throughout the duration of this course in order to grasp the key concepts and present their ideas in proper academic style. *****¨

Course Materials:

Required Core Textbooks:

We have recently requested this book in hard copy.

Lipson, Charles, How to Write a BA Thesis: A Practical Guide from Your First Ideas to Your Finished Paper. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 15 May 2005.

In any case, you will have access to our textbook via e-book, and the following addresses*****¦

http://www.netlibrary.com.ezp*****.apus.edu/urlapi.asp?action=summary&v=1&bookid=220145

http://site.ebrary.com.ezp*****.apus.edu/lib/apus/Doc?id=10216904

This textbook will not be read cover to cover but rather read and referred to as the needs of the student dictate throughout the course.

Other Recommended Reading for this Course:

Review the overview on

http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/home.html,

Then click and read the section on Humanities, MLA citation in full.

University of Purdue*****s Owl Writing Webpage http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research (on Research and Documentation)

University of Wisconsin*****s Writing Webpage: http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook (on thesis statements), University of North Carolina*****s Writing Webpage:

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/ (on introductions and conclusions, reorganizing drafts, transitions, and on thesis statements)

Sample Outline from Hacker: http://www.dianahacker.com/pdfs/Hacker-Levi-MLA-Out.pdf

Sample MLA Cited Paper:

http://www.dianahacker.com/pdfs/Hacker-Daly-MLA.pdf

Grading Policies:

Please upload all assignments as Microsoft Word (preferred) or RTF documents into your Folder and the appropriate assignment section. The semester grade will be computed as follows:

Grade Instruments

Points Possible

% of Final Grade

Class Participation (Frequent Interaction with Your Mentor, the Professor Guiding Your Research Project)

25

25%

Initial Abstract and Outline

10

10%

Annotated Bibliography: Fifteen Sources Minimum

10

10%

Two to three page Literature Review

15

15%

First Submission of Research Paper (to be corrected and returned to student)

20

20%

Final Submission of Research Paper

20

20%

TOTAL

100 Points

100%

General Guidance on Grading:

There are several important areas I review when grading academic writing.

First, I examine the idea: Was the assignment addressed thoughtfully and creatively? Did the student try to challenge him/herself? Did the paper demonstrate critical reading and clear analysis?

**Second, I look for documentation: Are the ideas expressed in this paper supported by MLA style citations that come from both primary and secondary sources? Does the author not only cite but also analyze the citations in order to demonstrate his or her interpretations/assertions? It is very difficult for me to evaluate your work without your demonstrating to me throughout the course where your conclusions are coming from through careful documentation and analysis of the required readings.

Third, I look for organization: Is the paper organized in a logical manner? Are there effective connections between ideas? Are the sources relevant and integrated effectively?

Fourth, I look at the mechanics of the paper: Does the paper demonstrate sentence variety and control of grammar and punctuation? Does it follow MLA, APA, Chicago, or some other style format?

Objectives and Schedule

Defining Your Study and Establishing Researcher-Mentor Relationship

Define Your Study

Establish Good Working Relationship with Mentor

TBD by mentor-researcher conference in week one. (The course core textbook is to be used as a reference throughout the course as the needs of the student dictate.)

Establish contact with your mentor and define your study and your work schedule

Week 1

Research Proposal

Propose Research via Working Abstract

TBD

Submit a Working Abstract

Week 2

Conducting Research

Create a Working Bibliography

TBD

Submit a Working Bibliography in MLA format of 15 sources minimum

Week 2

Introduction to Documentation of Sources

Document and Summarize Sources in an Annotated Bibliography

TBD

Submit a Working Bibliography in MLA format of 15 sources minimum

Week 3

Understanding the Narrative of Research in Your Field

Understand and Narrate the Story of Research in Your Field

TBD

Submit a two to three page Literature Review, which narrates the story of research currently published in the chosen field (complete with in text references)

Week 3

Composing Your Contribution

Articulate Your Contribution of New Knowledge in Your Field in the Context of the Current Research

TBD

None: Research and Composing

Week 4

Your Thesis and Sub-points

Compose a working outline that clearly shows your essay*****s argumentative structure

TBD

Submit a working outline complete with thesis and sub-points

Week 4

Your Analysis of Cited Evidence

Compose Paragraphs that contain sub-points, citations and analysis

TBD

Submit one body paragraph for your work in progress in order to come to a clear understanding of topic sentence, citation, analysis structure

Week 5

The First Draft: Its Relevant Pieces

Compose a Skeleton Outline of your paper to include title page, table of contents, abstract, paper, works cited page, appendixes, index.

TBD

None: Research and Composing

Week 5

Opening, Closing

Communicate effectively through the use of an appropriate introduction, conclusion

TBD

Submit a draft of your introduction and your conclusion to your instructor

Week 6

The First Draft: Its Relevant Pieces, Part II

Compose a Skeleton Outline of your paper to include title page, table of contents, abstract, paper, works cited page, appendixes, index.

TBD

Submit a Polished Draft of Your Paper (all pieces: title page, table of contents, abstract, paper, works cited page, appendixes, index)

Week 6

Using Your Mentor*****s Feedback

Use constructive criticism to improve your first draft.

TBD

Revise your essay based on your instructor*****s feedback

Week 7

Using Your Mentor*****s Feedback

Use constructive criticism to improve your first draft.

TBD

Revise

Week 8

Strengthening Your Transitions, Arguments, Academic Rigor, Grammar, Mechanics, Proofreading

Use constructive criticism to improve your first draft.

TBD

Revise: Work on Improving Specific Areas with your Instructor

Week 9

Revision and Editing

Use constructive criticism to improve your first draft.

TBD

Revise, Edit, Proofread

Week 10

Final Submission of Project

Complete a Research Project and Respond to Your Mentor*****s Final Assessment of your Research Findings

TBD

Submit Your Final Paper to include all pieces

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