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The course combines a series of lectures and workshops with the autonomous guided study. Poslední úprava: Dağdelen Mazlum Kemal (27.01.2023)
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Course rationale and aims Analysing Discourse: Theories and Methods is a master’s level course that aims to introduce discourse theory as a conceptual framework and an interdisciplinary research practice. The course also aims to get the course participants familiarised with various theoretical approaches to the concept of discourse and methodological toolboxes that enable researchers to analytically engage with empirical data. Participating in the course’s series of lectures and workshops, the students become acquainted with the development of the field of discourse studies, the fields of research where discourse theory is deployed, and some specific case studies in which discourse theoretical approaches are employed.
Course outcomes On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
Knowledge o have a deeper understanding of the field of discourse studies; o appraise the fundamental concepts, theories, and terminology used in the field of discourse studies; o distinguish various approaches to the concept of discourse; o become familiar with the development of discourse studies; o recognise the discourse theoretical approaches and methodologies being used in the field of communication and media studies; o illustrate the relations between society, culture, context, and discourse.
Skills o develop a research project; o deploy at least one discourse-theoretical analytical model.
Application of knowledge and skills o analyse cases in diverse contexts from a discourse-theoretical perspective; o produce a scholarly text based on original research. Poslední úprava: Dağdelen Mazlum Kemal (09.02.2024)
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Assignment and assessment In order to successfully complete the course, the students are required to: o participate in the classes and workshops actively; o submit their weekly reflections; o submit the research essay proposal on time; o discuss a fellow student’s proposal and provide detailed and constructive feedback in written form and orally; o complete the final assignment of the course on time and to the expected academic quality.
Guidelines for the research essay proposal The research essay proposal should include information about the following points without exceeding the word limit (1000 ± 200): Title, theoretical framework, methodology, research question(s), research design, data, and references (not included in the word count). If two students decide to prepare a joint research essay, they should inform the lecturers as soon as possible but no later than one week before the research essay proposal submission deadline. The research essay proposals will be submitted through Moodle.
Guidelines for the research essay o The main assignment of this course is the so-called research essay which should be theoretically based on discourse theory and employ a discourse theoretical method for analysis. Students are free to choose the textual and contextual focus of their research, and they can freely decide their approach to the concept of discourse and their analytical model within their research essays. The students may consult with the lecturers to find a suitable topic if they wish. o Paper length should be 3500-4000 words (around 12 pages), references not included. o Two students may collaborate in preparing one research essay upon prior agreement with the lecturers. However, the length will be doubled in jointly written papers. o The rules about plagiarism apply to all assignments. o The deadline for the submission of the research essay is twenty-one days after the last session. o Assignments must be submitted on (or before) the deadline to receive a passing grade. No deadline extensions will be granted unless in case of serious illness or bereavement. In the cases of serious illness or bereavement, a motivated request for an extension, supplemented by evidence, needs to be submitted to the course’s lecturers before the deadline of the assignment for which an extension is requested. o Students may decide which referencing style they use in the research essay, but APA (7th Ed.) is recommended. o The research essay will be submitted through Moodle. o The deadline for the submission of the final research essay is 10 June 2025, 23:59 (CET).
Guidelines for peer feedback o Each student will act as a discussant of a fellow student’s research essay proposal; o The discussant is expected to assess the proposal’s theoretical framework, its methodology and research design, and its overall feasibility. Thus, the feedback must be more than a summary of the proposal; o The discussant will propose at least two additional relevant publications that are not included in the proposal; o The discussant will submit a brief report of their feedback by the indicated deadline; o The written feedback will be submitted via email to the lecturers, who will then distribute all written feedback among the students.
Weekly reflection papers The students are expected to produce a “course diary” in the form of weekly reflection papers, which are 500-800 word summaries of the lectures followed by personal considerations. The reflection papers aim to enhance critical engagement with the arguments presented during the lectures. References are not compulsory but are always appreciated. The structure is as follows: · Week & Topic – State the week number and main theme. · Key Insights (200-400 words) – Summarise main concepts from lectures, readings, or discussions. · Personal Reflection (300-400 words) – Discuss how the lecture and reading material influenced your thinking, challenged assumptions or connected to your experiences. · (Optional) Questions & Further Inquiry (100-200 words) – List any unresolved questions or topics for future exploration. Students are expected to email their reflections each week at least two days before the class.
Evaluation o Participation in course activities and workshops — 10% o Weekly reflection papers — 20% o Research essay proposal — 10% o Peer feedback on the research essay proposal – 20% o Research essay — 40%
Other requirements The students are expected to o attend and get actively involved in the lectures and workshops; o abide by the deadlines for the assignments; o comply with the ethical standards while preparing their assignments.
AI statement Students are permitted to use AI tools to a limited degree as an aid in their writing with the purpose of language and grammar corrections. However, AI-generated content must not replace original thought, analysis, or critical engagement with course materials. If AI tools are used, students must: 1. Critically review and edit any AI-generated content to ensure accuracy, coherence, and alignment with academic integrity. 2. Acknowledge AI assistance by including the following (or similar) statement in their work: “This assignment was created with limited assistance from AI tools [please specify]. After using this tool/service, I reviewed and edited the content as necessary and take full responsibility for the final version of this submission.” The AI-generated content must not replace individual intellectual work, and students must always be transparent about their use of AI tools. Failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in academic penalties as per the university's plagiarism and integrity policies. Poslední úprava: Dağdelen Mazlum Kemal (18.02.2025)
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Burr, V. (2006). An Introduction to Social Constructionism. Routledge. Button, G., Lynch, M., & Sharrock, W. (2022). Ethnomethodology, Conversation Analysis and Constructive Analysis: On Formal Structures of Practical Action. Taylor & Francis. Carpentier, N. (2017). The Discursive-Material Knot. Peter Lang US. https://doi.org/10.3726/978-1-4331-3754-9 Carpentier, N., & De Cleen, B. (2007). Bringing Discourse Theory into Media Studies: The applicability of Discourse Theoretical Analysis (DTA) for the Study of media practises and discourses. Journal of Language and Politics, 6(2), 265–293. https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.6.2.08car Fairclough, N. (2010). Critical Discourse Analysis: The Critical Study of Language. Routledge. Flowerdew, J., & Richardson, J. (Eds.). (2017). The Routledge Handbook of Critical Discourse Studies (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315739342 Howarth, D. R. (2000). Discourse. Open University Press. Howarth, D. R., Norval, A. J., & Stavrakakis, Y. (Eds.). (2000). Discourse theory and political analysis: Identities, hegemonies, and social change. Manchester University Press ; Distributed exclusively in the U.S.A. by St. Martin’s Press. Jørgensen, M., & Phillips, L. (2002). Discourse Analysis as Theory and Method. SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781849208871 Machin, D., & Mayr, A. (2012). How to Do Critical Discourse Analysis: A Multimodal Introduction. Sage. Renkema, J., & Schubert, C. (2018). Introduction to Discourse Studies: New edition. John Benjamins Publishing Company. https://doi.org/10.1075/z.219 Saldaña, J. (2016). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (3E [Third edition]). SAGE. Wodak, R., & Meyer, M. (Eds.). (2001). Methods of critical discourse analysis. SAGE. Yin, R. K. (2016). Qualitative research from start to finish (Second edition). The Guilford Press. Poslední úprava: Dağdelen Mazlum Kemal (18.02.2025)
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Week 1 (18 February) – Introduction to the course Aim and structure of the course; a rough definition of discourse (studies) Week 2 (25 February) – Entering the field of discourse studies Social constructionism, (Post-)Structuralism, Text, Context
Week 3 (04 March) – Micro-/Macro- approaches to the concept of discourse ‘big D’ Discourse and ‘little d’ discourse
Week 4 (11 March) – Studying discourses: Approaches to discourse analysis (1) Conversation Analysis, Multimodal (Critical) Discourse Analysis
Week 5 (18 March) – Studying discourses: Approaches to discourse analysis (2) Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
Week 6 (25 March) – Studying discourses: Approaches to discourse analysis (3) Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) Deadline 1 - Submission of the research essay proposals.
Week 7 (01 April) – Discourse theory and media studies Discourse-Theoretical Analysis (DTA)
Week 8 (08 April) – Discourses of / about / as … Nationalism, gender, identity, conflict Deadline 2 - Submission of the peer feedback for fellow students.
Week 9 (15 April) – Feedback session
Week 10 (22 April) – Case study discussion The discursive construction of childhood
Week 11 (29 April) – Case study discussion To be confirmed
Week 12 (06 May) – Case study discussion A discourse-theoretical analysis of the construction of ‘the Other’
Week 13 (13 May) – Course Break (Rector’s Day)
Week 14 (20 May) – Wrap up & Case study discussion Discussion on nationalist discourse(s) Poslední úprava: Dağdelen Mazlum Kemal (18.02.2025)
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