Theories of Discourse: An Introduction

D. MacDonell

ISBN 10: 0631148396 / ISBN 13: 9780631148395

Edité par John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 1991

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This item is printed on demand. New copy - Usually dispatched within 5-9 working days 244. N° de réf. du vendeur C9780631148395

Détails bibliographiques

Titre : Theories of Discourse: An Introduction

Éditeur : John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Date d'édition : 1991

Reliure : Paperback / softback

Etat : New

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Synopsis :

Book by Macdonell Diane

Présentation de l'éditeur:

This is the first critical introduction to the theories ofdiscourse advanced by Foucault, Althusser, PUcheux and Hindess andHirst. Discourse theory proposes that in our daily activities theway we speak and write is shaped by the structures of power in oursociety, and that because our society is defined by struggle andconflict our discourses reflect and create conflicts. The words,expressions and forms of knowledge in institutions (schools anduniversities, the church and the media) become political as theyare traversed and rearranged by the pressure of forces. DianeMacdonell reveals the various lines of thought in recent work ondiscourse, showing how the central conception of discourse as apolitical and social tool could diversify into several differentcritical theories and ideologies.

This book is of particular interest as it calls for a reappraisalof Althusser whose work, Macdonell argues, has been wronglydebunked. This is the first overview and introduction to anotoriously complex area of critical theory, an area which is atthe heart of debates about form, meaning, ideology, literarycriticism and the humanities.