Political Discourse Analysis: A Method for Advanced Students

by Isabela Fairclough, Norman Fairclough

Overview

In this accessible new textbook, Isabela and Norman Fairclough present their innovative approach to analysing political discourse.

Political Discourse Analysis integrates analysis of arguments into critical discourse analysis and political discourse analysis. The book is grounded in a view of politics in which deliberation, decision and action are crucial concepts: politics is about arriving cooperatively at decisions about what to do in the context of disagreement, conflict of interests and values, power inequalities, uncertainty and risk.

The first half of the book introduces the authors’ new approach to the analysis and evaluation of practical arguments, while the second half explores how it can be applied by looking at examples such as government reports, parliamentary debates, political speeches and online discussion forums on political issues. Through the analysis of current events, including a particular focus on the economic crisis and political responses to it, the authors provide a systematic and rigorous analytical framework that can be adopted and used for students’ own research.

This exciting new text, co-written by bestselling author Norman Fairclough, is essential reading for researchers, upper undergraduate and postgraduate students of discourse analysis, within English language, linguistics, communication studies, politics and other social sciences.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415499231
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	01/19/2012
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.80(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Isabela Fairclough is Senior Lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire, UK. Previously, she was Associate Professor at the University of Bucharest, Romania, and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Lancaster. Her publications include Discourse Analysis and Argumentation Theory: Analytical Framework and Applications (2006).

Norman Fairclough is Emeritus Professor at Lancaster University, UK. He is author of numerous titles, including New Labour, New Language? (2000), Analysing Discourse: Textual Analysis for Social Research (2003), and Language and Globalization (2006), all published by Routledge.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1. Political Discourse Analysis and the Nature of Politics 2. Practical Reasoning: A Framework for Analysis and Evaluation 3. Critical Discourse Analysis and Analysis of Argumentation 4.The Economic Crisis in the UK: Strategies and Arguments 5. Value Premises in the Public Debate Over Bankers’ Bonuses 6. Deliberation as Genre in the Parliamentary Debate on University Tuition Fees. Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

"F.F. (Fairclough and Fairclough) have provided us with a valuable, theoretically elaborate, empirically well-founded and practically useful approach to the study of political discourse." - Manfred Kienpointner, Journal of Language and Politics

'This is exactly the book we were waiting for: a clear and thorough method for analysing political discourse, written from a critical perspective and paying due attention to practical arguments. Isabela and Norman Fairclough have done a great job.'

Frans H. van Eemeren, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

'An innovative and important extension of the reach of research into political language and discourse. Sure to become an essential reference point, this book will make possible new collaborations (not to mention arguments) involving scholars of linguistics, political theorists of deliberation, discourse or ideology, and political scientists.'

Alan Finlayson, Swansea University, UK

From the Publisher