Introduction CDA adopts an interdisciplinary approach, different methodologies, and varying perspectives for the analysis of data which is predominantly obtained from social topics such as “racism, identity, social change” (Wodak: 2006). Power relationships between the dominant and the dominated social class are the foci of CDA, and considers language use or discourse as a defining characteristic in understanding varied social patterns that emerge as a result of the discursive practices, naturalization of ideology, and orders of discourse. It blends the historical context with the contemporary contexts to interpret the element of social change. CDA believes in the practice, application, and availability of results to the experts so that select discursive and social practices could be both interpreted and transformed. How does the naturalization of ideology come about? Ideologies are mental systems that organize socially shared attitudes, and these mental systems are social representations that function as “models which control how people act, speak or write or how they understand the social practices of others” (van Dijk, 1995: 2). Naturalization can be understood as an unconscious process whereby beliefs, values, ideas, perceptions, and modes of thinking of a society and a class are internalized at a certain point in time (Yewah: 1993). Naturalization gives to particular ideological representations the status of common sense, and thereby makes them opaque and no longer visible as ideologies (Fairclough, 1995a: 42). A certain discourse type dominates other discourses to the extent that it is no longer arbitrary and is viewed as natural. However, the ‘balance of forces’ in social struggle determine the extent of naturaliza... ... middle of paper ... ...iwanese press. Discourse and Society, 16(3): 393-418. Lefevere, A. (1992b). Translation/ History /Culture: A Sourcebook. New York: Routledge. Martinez-Roland, C. M. & Malave, G. (2004). Language Ideologies Mediating Literacy and Identity in Bilingual Contexts. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 4(2): 155-180. van Dijk, T. (1993) Discourse and Elite Racism, London: Sage. Wodak, R. (1996) Disorders of Discourse, London: Longman. Wodak, R. (1997) ‘Critical discourse analysis’, in T. van Dijk (ed.) Discourse as Social Interaction, London: Sage. Wodak, R. (2006). Critical linguistics and critical discourse analysis in Verschueren, J. and Östman, J. (eds) Handbook of Pragmatics John Benjamins Publishing Company, Amsterdam. Emmanuel Yewah, E. (1993). Ideology and the de/naturalization of meaning in the Cameroonian novel, Afrika Focus, Vol. 9, Nr. 3-4, pp. 179-192.
Olson, Annie. “An Introduction to Rhetoric.” Le Tourneau U, May 2006. Web. 6 Dec. 2011.
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In Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood, the author Richard Rodriguez argues that since there is a lack of bilingual education taught in American schools, many students face a loss of intimacy to their native language, leaving them identifiable-less. He makes this claim by expressing that although native language can cause divisions in communication, it is the basis structure to a person.
Mazrui, Ali A. "The Re-Invention of Africa: Edward Said, V. Y. Mudimbe, and Beyond." Research in African Literatures 36, no. 3 (Autumn 2005): 68-82.
To examine various discourses, it is crucial that the idea of discourse and the way in which discourses operate is clear. A discourse is a language, or more precisely, a way of representation and expression. These "ways of talking, thinking, or representing a particular subject or topic produce meaningful knowledge about the subject" (Hall 205). Therefore, the importance of discourses lies in this "meaningful knowledge," which reflects a group’s ideolo...
It is important to maintain children’s home language as it may help them learn and understand a second language. Barratt-Pugh (2000) discusses the benefits of bilingualism and maintaining it through early childhood settings, also mentions the concerns families have for their children maintaining two languages through schooling. Research within the article states that children who speak more than one language will have a higher level of understanding literacy content, form, genre, as well as understand the differences and translating within both languages. This demonstrates a contrast of strengths and experiences with literacy (linguist...
In the article, “Public and Private Language”, Richard Rodriguez argues that bilingual education delays learning a “public language” and developing a public identity”. I can relate to Richard’s story because my family and me moved to America when I was young and we also had the same struggle learning a new language. I agreed with Rodriguez when he expressed that he didn’t feel like a true American until he mastered the English language because English is the first and main language in America.
Barbara Nagy (2013) was, in her case study, focusing on eight bilingual children's (aged between 4 and 11) language development process. The main focus was on three of the most common assumptions people have on bilingualism:
This is a gripping novel about the problem of European colonialism in Africa. The story relates the cultural collision that occurs when Christian English missionaries arrive among the Ibos of Nigeria, bringing along their European ways of life and religion.
Loweistein, K. (1953). The Role Of Ideologies in Political Change. New York: International Social Science Bulletin.
The concept of ideology dates back to the time of the early Marxists who were seeking answers for the lack of a working class revolt against the exploitative Capitalist social system (Open Polytechnic, 2014; Barker, 2009b). They believed that people were taught to hold beliefs that lead to a false understanding of the social world and so reinforced the world-views of the powerful and the status quo of society as being both natural and inviolate (Open Polytechnic, 2014; Barker, 2009b). This teaching is carried out in the home, through the church, education system and mass media (Barker, 2009b). The emphasis on ideology as a means for reinforcing a group/s position of dominance has led some scholars to reject the concept as outdated in today's society as there is no longer a coherent dominant culture (Barker, 2009b). Others have taken the power aspect out of it and focus on it as people’s "principled idealised beliefs about the world and associat...
Nigel Barley’s The Innocent Anthropologist explores the lives and culture of the Cameroonian Dowayo tribe. The book follows Barley’s fieldwork gathered during his stay amongst the tribe, affording insight into their ceremonies, language, social norms, and beliefs. Barley’s book stands out in the highly personal tone with which he recounts his time spent with the Dowayo, acknowledging bureaucratic troubles and, oftentimes humorous, misunderstandings. With a translator, Barley embarks on his attempt to immerse himself into the culture of the Dowayo, not hesitating to participate in their festivals (to a certain degree) and incorporate himself in their daily lives. Barley regals the audience with the entire experience of his fieldwork in West Africa, making sure to include how more modern technological and political inventions, such as voting and refrigerators, are regarded by the Dowayo. Barley writes with emphasis on the difficulties of the language, which is tonal and consists of multiple dialects, the Dowayo’s fondness for
From my experience, bilingual education was a disadvantage during my childhood. At the age of twelve, I was introduced into a bilingual classroom for the first time. The crowded classroom was a combination of seventh and eighth grade Spanish-speaking students, who ranged from the ages of twelve to fifteen. The idea of bilingual education was to help students who weren’t fluent in the English language. The main focus of bilingual education was to teach English and, at the same time, teach a very basic knowledge of the core curriculum subjects: Mathematics, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. Unfortunately, bilingual education had academic, psychological, and social disadvantages for me.
Fairclough (1992: 88) is of the view that “ideologies reside in texts” (p. 88). But it is noe necessary that the discourse would be interpreted in the same way as desired by the producers. Several interpretations can be made of a single piece of discourse. The ideological import may keep on changing with each new interpretation of discourse (Fairclough, 1992: 89).
Having done the above analysis on my favourite text, “Anowa” by Ama Ataa Aidoo, I realise that my like for the text has heightened because the analysis of Anowa has given me a deeper understanding of Africa’s colonialism. I now know what actually led to our colonialisation (the betrayal) and how it began (the bond of 1844) through the personal lives of Anowa and Kofi.