The Critical Element of Critical Discourse Analysis
Original version
SYNAPS - A Journal of Professional Communication 28(2013)Abstract
This paper is a discussion and presentation of the critical element of critical discourse analysis. To denote something as ‘critical’ can be seen as a desire to indicate that certain linguistic/discursive studies are different, that their methods and theories bring something to the table that others do not. However, what it entails “to be critical” varies, and different scholars emphasize different notions and frameworks related to this subject in their critical work. I here discuss how a critical approach influences both the researcher and the object of study, in a general research setting as well as in relation to my PhD project: The climate change issue as a communicative arena.
Description
This paper is a slightly modified version of the compulsory presentation given in connection with a doctoral course in theory of science and ethics for my PhD degree, delivered on December 3, 2012 at NHH Norwegian School of Economics.