Theories of Discourse: An Introduction

Macdonell, Diane

ISBN 10: 0631148396 / ISBN 13: 9780631148395

Published by Basil Blackwell, Oxford, England, 1991

About this Item

Minor wear; otherwise a solid, clean copy with no marking or underlining; collectible condition.

Seller Inventory # 015963

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Theories of Discourse: An Introduction
• Publisher: Basil Blackwell, Oxford, England
• Publication Date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0631148396
• ISBN 13: 9780631148395
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: Canadian First.
• Condition: Very Good+
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket as Issued
• Book Type: Book

About this title

Synopsis

This is the first critical introduction to the theories of discourse advanced by Foucault, Althusser, PUcheux and Hindess and Hirst. Discourse theory proposes that in our daily activities the way we speak and write is shaped by the structures of power in our society, and that because our society is defined by struggle and conflict our discourses reflect and create conflicts. The words, expressions and forms of knowledge in institutions (schools and universities, the church and the media) become political as they are traversed and rearranged by the pressure of forces. Diane Macdonell reveals the various lines of thought in recent work on discourse, showing how the central conception of discourse as a political and social tool could diversify into several different critical theories and ideologies.

This book is of particular interest as it calls for a reappraisal of Althusser whose work, Macdonell argues, has been wrongly debunked. This is the first overview and introduction to a notoriously complex area of critical theory, an area which is at the heart of debates about form, meaning, ideology, literary criticism and the humanities.

About the Author

Diane Macdonell is the author of Theories of Discourse: An Introduction, published by Wiley.