Educ. 870
Discourse Analysis of International
Education Policies
SPRING
2013
Draft syllabus
Updated version will be provided in class
Mondays 1-4 HS
275
Bjorn H.
Nordtveit (office hours by appointment: bjorn@educ.umass.edu
)
Discourse analysis examines how
social and power relations, identities, and knowledge are constructed through
written, visual, and spoken texts. This course provides an introduction to
discourse analytic approaches to research in international education policy and
development. We will consider discourse analysis as theory and method through
an interdisciplinary lens, by studying three core traditions of analysis,
including discourse theory, critical discourse analysis and discursive
psychology.
The course demonstrates tools to
analyze policy texts and to assess underlying symbols and imagery of policy in
the form of spoken statements, publicity, posters and awareness-raising
messages, photos and movies. Students will have the opportunities to apply various
analytic methods to conduct hands-on research in their field of interests.
Course Objectives
After successful completion of
this course, students will
Those who have spoken or written data
samples – or photos or movies – to work with for analysis may use these for the
course; the others will be expected to select an international or national
policy to be used as their sample for analysis.
Class requirements and evaluation:
The class entails a combination of personal reading and analysis, lectures, and student presentations. The course is being offered on a pass/fail basis with a letter grade option. Any student wishing a letter grade must submit a written request for that option by the fourth class meeting. The evaluation is based on the following requirements:
Ø Class attendance, participation and leading discussion of one
reading: 30%
Ø Four brief online exercises: 40%
Ø Project and presentation: 30%
Required Texts
Reader: Philips, L.
and Jørgensen, M. (2002). Discourse Analysis as Theory and Method. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Please purchase prior to session
3.
Moodle - the course
will have other readings, materials and resources available on Moodle. Students
will be expected to make weekly use of Moodle for assignments and readings.
Course schedule
January 28: Introduction to the field of
discourse analysis
Key premises; evolution of the field from
linguistic approaches to discourse analysis. Discussion of how
theories of language or discourse shape approaches to discourse analysis, and how
discourse analysis can be understood as a cultural practice and process.
Group work on media and policy formation.
Explanation of course requirements.
Reading:
Nordtveit, B.H. “World Bank poetry: How the Education Sector
Strategy 2020 imagines the world” p. 21-32, in S. J. Klees,
J. Samoff, and N. P. Stromquist
(Eds.) (2012). The World Bank and
Education: Critiques and Alternatives. Boston: Sense Publishers.
February 4: Foucault and Derrida
Theoretical
foundations of discourse analysis; language and power. Focault’s archeology and genealogy. Deconstructing texts: what do
they really mean? Definitions and understanding of ideology.
Readings:
Allen, A. (2012) Using Foucault in education research, British Educational Research
Association on-line resource.
Eagleton, T. (2007). Ideology, an Introduction. New York: Verso. Ch. 1
February 11: The
post-development movement
Development
theories; how are they related to educational development? Theories
of progress and social change. Escobar – Encountering Development in Columbia. Policy
implications for development programs and education.
Readings:
Locke, T. (2004). Critical Discourse Analysis. New York: Continuum. Chs. 1-3.
Escobar, A. The problematization
of poverty: the tale of three worlds and poverty, p. 131-140, in S. Chari and
S. Corbridge (2008). The
Development Reader. Oxon: Routledge.
Illich, I., Development as planned poverty. In
M. Rahnema, and V. Bawtree, (Eds.) (1997). The Post-Development Reader.
Zed Books, London.
February 19 (Monday schedule): Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse
theory
Theoretical
background and tools for analysis.
Readings:
Reader Ch. 1: “The field of discourse analysis”
Reader Ch. 2: Laclau & Mouffe’s discourse theory
February 25: Applying discourse theory to
policy analysis
Examples
of analysis; hands-on demonstrations. First online assignment: application of discourse theory.
Reading:
Laclau, E. and C. Mouffe. (1985) Hegemony and social strategy: Towards a radical democratic
politics. Ch. 3.
March 4: Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
Language
and images as empirical study within a
social context. Norman Fairclough’s philosophy,
theoretical methods and specific techniques for linguistic analysis.
Readings:
Reader Ch. 3: “Critical discourse
analysis”
March 11: Online session – applying
critical discourse analysis to a text
Second online
assignment: analysis of text or image using CDA methods.
Readings:
Fairclough, N. (2003). Analysing Discourse: Textual Analysis
for Social Research. New York: Routledge.
Ch. 2: Texts, social events and social practices.
Locke, T. (2004). Critical Discourse Analysis. New York: Continuum. Chs. 4-6.
March 18: No class – spring recess
March 25: Evolution and critique of CDA
Use
of CDA in policy and development settings. Critique, limits and new orientations.
Readings:
TBA.
April 1: Discursive psychology
Explanation
of social psychological phenomena in terms of cognitive processes; thinking perception and reasoning. Cognitive processes as the cause of
policy making and social action.
Third online
assignment: application of discursive psychology to analyzing everyday
discourse or spoken language in policy field of interest.
Reading:
Reader Ch. 4: “Discursive
psychology”
April 8: The three approaches compared
Towards
an integrated methodology? Implications for research.
Reading:
Reader: Ch. 5: “Across the
approaches”
April 15: Critical policy research in
education and development
Implications
of discourse analysis for social critical constructionist research. Critique of the
critique. Identification of the taken-for-granted; the
role of the analyst.
Reading:
Reader Ch. 6: “Critical social
constructionist research”
April 23: Use of software as a tool for
discourse analysis
Introduction
to NVivo; hands-on demonstrations.
Fourth online
assignment: supporting use of qualitative software for analysis of language
use.
Readings:
TBA.
April 30: Bringing it all together: implications
for policy and way forward
Conclusions of course; presentation of projects.