SSR One

Giancarlo Albano

2/17/18

ENGL 300

Synthesis and Summary Report One

SUMMARY

In the third chapter of What Writing Does and How It Does It Ellen Barton discusses the idea of discourse analysis, listing and explaining a number of theories and methods for the process. One of these is the method of critical discourse analysis, which is a process that “draws from various social theories to analyze the complex interactions of language and ideology in various contexts (van Dijk, 1998).” (61). Further down the page, she adds to the idea, stating “Critical discourse analysis also draws data from many domains by examining language in the news and in bureaucratic settings such as parliamentary debates and official reports (van Dijk, 1991, 1993; Wodak & van Dijk 2000).” (61). Critical discourse analysis is a more applied style of discourse analysis, which focuses on larger social practices and critical social issues, such as power relations, racism, sexism, etc, and how they play out in society.

SYNTHESIS

In the final pages of the first section of Keith Gilyard's Flight West, he discusses ideas of language in regards to the idea of “majority rule” in terms of voting within our society. This practice is seen used in events as large as a primary election for a new state governor, or as small as a quick vote within an elementary school classroom to decide on an activity for the day. This practice does have its flaws, however, and has lead to unrest in certain communities when applied to larger events and practices. Gilyard references a personal example given by Lani Guinier on the subject of how this “majority rule” has caused issues, in the form of a Chicago high school that held two senior proms. “The African American seniors, a numerical minority, knew that they could never win a vote concerning the music to be featured; therefore, they organized an alternate affair, a move that left some of the white students at the school embittered because they felt that majority rule is “the way it works” and that the African Americans should have abided by the vote (609).” (46). In this example, critical discourse analysis allows for the undertones of racism in the white student's insistence to follow their idea of “the way it works” to come through, regardless of whether or not it was “intentional” racism by the white students. Their message might not have been inherently racist, as a standalone statement, but the language choice in regards to the situation, under the lens of critical discourse analysis, certainly carries that message.

The New York Times featured an op-ed on January twenty ninth of this year, 2018, which discusses the rise of the #MeToo movement on social media. In this op-ed, “Steve Wynn and the Economic Inequality Behind #MeToo”, Brittany Bronson talks about the idea of the #MeToo movement, and how it came to be in the current day and age. However, the main focus is on a flaw within the movement, in regards to just who has the ability to really say “Me too” and still come out the other side unscathed. “It is exceptionally brave for any low-income woman who speaks out, but there is a reason Mr. Wynn's accusers have remained unnamed: They do not have a legion of Twitter followers to mobilize around them, or people of power to affirm them, or forthcoming movies to support them financially. Socioeconomic status plays a significant role in their ability to say, “Me too”.” (Page 2). Usage of critical discourse analysis allows for a number of observations to be made about this subject, one of which is the idea that #MeToo, normally a pairing of words that carries a message of empowerment and a cry for justice, also holds a message of “I can afford to say this because of X” where X is a woman's wealth, reputation, and/or their following. There is a clear message of inequality in this, with how lower class, minimum wage, working women do not have any of those luxuries to help them tell their story, and then still maintain the life they've been living.

Looking at the documentation of a slave exchange from the year of 1857 through critical discourse analysis also provides insight past what might be considered obvious by some viewers. While the “undertones” of racism are without a doubt “overtones” in this case, closer examination of the language used in the document, with critical discord analysis, helps showcase other messages as well. “To protect and defend said property from all claim or claims whatever.” is an example of how the language in this documentation dehumanizes the slaves in the eyes of the men making this exchange. Instead of being referred to as people, the language they use takes that away, and labels them as “property” just as one would talk about things like furniture, a home, or a plot of land.

QUESTIONS

1. What other critical issues in the current day and age could benefit from being discussed with critical discourse analysis? What information might be drawn out of them in doing so?
2. Have there been instances in recent events where it seems that critical discourse analysis was intentionally avoided by someone when discussing a particular topic? What reasons might someone have for doing so?

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