Introduction to Discourse Analysis

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Many discourse analytical approaches start from the assumption that a discourse is socially constructed. A "discourse" is an ensemble of verbal and non-verbal practices, which reciprocally structure and are structured by our perceptions of the world around us. A discourse does not just translate reality into language, but influences how we see reality. Discourse analysis provides the methodology for challenging tacit knowledge underlying our perceptions of reality. This course makes abstract theories about discourse analysis more concrete by examining how specific discourses about, for instance, religion, secularization, globalization, orientalism, occidentalism, gender, etc. emerge from texts.