Studying Language, Producing Knowledge: An Introduction to Discourse Analysis

Language is more than a tool for communication―it is a powerful force that shapes how knowledge is produced and understood. Studying Language, Producing Knowledge offers a clear and comprehensive introduction to discourse studies, demonstrating how language operates as social action. Anne Mäntynen and Sari Pietikäinen trace the evolution of the field, combining classic theories with contemporary approaches to show how discourse constructs meaning, identities, and social realities.

Through an engaging blend of conceptual explanation and practical guidance, this textbook guides readers step by step through the process of analyzing discourse in real-world contexts. Each chapter provides key concepts, discussion points, and examples that help students move confidently from theory to research practice. Throughout the text, the authors highlight how discourse interacts with power, ideology, and change, and how the study of language can reveal the dynamics of knowledge production in today’s complex social world.

Studying Language, Producing Knowledge is written for undergraduate and postgraduate students across language, communication, and cultural studies, as well as sociology and anthropology. It is ideal for courses on discourse analysis, language and society, or qualitative research methods, and serves as an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand how language shapes the ways we know and act.

ANNE MÄNTYNEN is Professor of Non-Fiction at the University of Helsinki. A leading scholar in discourse and genre studies, she examines how language ideologies and genres shape social practices and writing cultures. She served as Editor of Virittäjä.

SARI PIETIKÄINEN is Professor of Discourse Studies at the University of Jyväskylä and Research Fellow at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. Her research explores the entanglements between discourse, power, and ecology in the Arctic, using critical assemblage analysis.