Analysing Discourse: Theories and Methods - RSO40806
Course schedule
| Dates | Start time | End time | Location | Coordinator | registrations app/max |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 September-9 October | Wageningen campus | Marcella Haan | 6 / 15 | Apply |
Course description
This advanced course is part of the WASS graduate programme. It is aimed at PhD students and well-progressed Master students in MSc programmes such as, but not restricted to, MME, MID, MDR, MLP, MFN, and MCH. It provides an overview of different theoretical approaches to discourse analysis and trains students in doing such analysis. The course is highly suited for students interested in the politics and power of a topic of their interest (e.g. climate change or food policies, sustainability transformations in agriculture, urban place-making, participation, knowledge production, among many others). To provide coaching in using the course for the development of a scientific article, research proposal or PhD book chapter, it is to a large extent student driven: you bring in your own case and/or topic.
General information
| Dates: | 1 September-9 October; sessions on Tuesday and Fridays from 11.40-13.30 |
| Contact person (logistics): | Marcella Haan |
| Contact person (content): | Marleen Buizer |
| Credits: | 6 ECTS |
| Venue: | Wageningen Campus |
After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- Describe different theoretical approaches to discourse analysis
- Evaluate the application of different discourse theories in empirical research
- Justify methodological choices in empirical discourse analysis and explain their implications
- Critically reflect and assess the process of data analysis and interpretation in discourse analysis
Week 1: The world of discourse analysis research is vast. We will mainly dwell on poststructuralist discourse approaches, for which the ideas of Michel Foucault have been a huge source of inspiration. To position those approaches, we will first set them in the context of interpretivism vs positivism and then move on to imagining what ‘discourse(s)’ you see at work in relation to our own research interests.
Weeks 2-6: From week 2, each week features a specific approach to analysing discourse. In depth lectures and groupwork will provide you with training in key concepts and approaches to the empirical analysis of discourses, in different types of settings. On the Tuesdays we will have interactive lectures on a specific perspective on discourse analysis. How to use DA and make choices in particular contexts is what we will focus on in every week. The time in between the Tuesday lecture and your Friday presentations, is for group discussions and preparation of presentations. On the Friday you present one of your group members’ cases to seek feedback, in the form of a PowerPoint presentation that is linking the ‘discursive approach of the week’ to the chosen case. The group members who have not brought in the case will present, for this will help you come to a more in-depth understanding and discussion of each other’s work. For the remainder of your time you will elaborate what you learned from the week, i.e., the lessons taken from the discussions and personal reflections, to develop your individual portfolio. The latter renders weekly ‘chapters’ that will cumulate into a full portfolio that you will submit at the end of the course.
Weeks 7-8: You will work on your portfolio: it will introduce your case/topic and problem statement (from week 2), add 3 or 4 chapters for each approach (so all four or three from week 3 – 6), and finalise with a comparison and discussion of the different approaches. This will generate 5 or 6 chapters in total. Submit the document by the end of week 8. It will be good, of course, to make the needed changes to the chapters originally submitted. Note that for the last chapter, you can choose to zoom in on some approaches more than others, because you find them a better 'match' with your research interest and questions. Of course, you then motivate why you prioritise those, instead of the other(s).
The course is designed for advanced MSc students and PhD candidates with knowledge in social science theory and social science research methods.