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The history of critical discourse analysis: why it changed the study of language since the 1970s
Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is a research method that reveals the hidden meanings in texts and conversations. It not only analyzes how the use of language reinforces power relations, social class and ideology, but also explores the status of language as a form of social practice. With the needs of social change, critical discourse analysis gradually developed in the 1970s and became an important field of language research. This discipline reflects concerns about social inequality, abuse of power, and manipulation, and examines how society's power structures are built and reinforced through the use of language.
Critical discourse analysis challenges the boundaries of traditional linguistics by revealing power asymmetries and structural inequalities in language.
Background
Critical discourse analysis originated from critical linguistics developed at the University of East Anglia in the 1970s. Sociolinguistics at that time paid relatively little attention to social class and power, so the proposal of CDA filled this gap. The Lancastrian School, led by scholars such as Norman Fairclough, integrated social theory, critical theory, and the ideas of scholars such as Karl Marx and Michel Foucault into language analysis, making CDA not limited to language structure. discussion, but focus on the relevance of its social context.
Methodology
CDA’s research methods are diverse, covering discourse studies, humanities and social sciences, aiming to gain a deeper understanding of how discourse reproduces (or resists) social and political inequality. Researcher Stephen Teo's research in Australia pointed out the problem of racial discrimination against Vietnamese youths in mainstream media. By analyzing the titles and content of media reports, he showed how "discourse of fear" is used to manipulate readers' perceptions.
Critical discourse analysis is not limited to the specific structure of the text but systematically relates it to the structure of the socio-political context.
Advantages and disadvantages
Despite CDA's broad applicability, there are criticisms that its approach is too macroscopic to clearly identify manipulation in rhetoric, or that it lacks sufficient insight into the various topics researchers wish to define. In his book "Language and Power", Fairclough briefly analyzed power, ideology and social practice in dialogue, and proposed a three-dimensional framework for analyzing language texts, processes of discourse practice and events of socio-cultural practice .
Application scope
CDA has a wide range of applications, including media research, advertising texts, English teaching, heritage language, power and ideology, and other fields. These studies not only enrich the content of linguistics, but also promote discussion and understanding of social issues.
Many outstanding scholars, such as Norman Fairclough, Teyoen van Dyke and Ruth Wodak, have made important contributions to the development of CDA and the establishment of the theoretical framework.
Scholars and Documents
Further research continues to advance the theoretical and practical application of critical discourse analysis. Scholars study different text dialogues to deeply explore the social meaning behind language and its use. Many works explore the relationship between language and power from a linguistic perspective and propose social representations of ideology.
Conclusion
In summary, critical discourse analysis, as a method of studying language, has had a profound impact on the field of language research since the 1970s. Through the critical analysis of language, we can not only understand social phenomena, but also reflect on our own position and role in the current context. In our ever-changing society, how does language continue to shape our thoughts and behaviors?
