Power Talk: Language and Interaction in Institutional Discourse

Thornborrow, Joanna

ISBN 10: 0582368790 / ISBN 13: 9780582368798

Published by Routledge, 2001

About this Item

Examines discourse, power and ideology, by introducing perspectives on the relationship between social structures of power and interaction. This work argues that if a clearer understanding of the relationship between language, discourse and social institutions is to be obtained, the linguistic processes must be examined closely. Series: Real Language Series. Num Pages: 160 pages. BIC Classification: CFB; CFG. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational. Dimension: 235 x 157 x 9. Weight in Grams: 258. . 2001. 1st Edition. paperback. . . . .

Seller Inventory # V9780582368798

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Power Talk: Language and Interaction in Institutional Discourse
• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication Date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0582368790
• ISBN 13: 9780582368798
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

The concept of social power, who holds it and how they use it is a widely debated subject particularly in the field of discourse analysis, and the wider arena of sociolinguistics.

In her new book,Joanna Thornborrow challenges the received notion that power is necessarily held by some speakers and not by others. Through the detailed analysis of communication and interaction within a range of institutional settings, she examines power as an emerging, negotiated phenomenon between participants with different status and goals.

Written in a clear style which combines attention to technical detail with accessibility, Power Talk includes:

• a comprehensive introduction to the theme of power including the analytic approaches to power in language
• a wide-ranging discussion of theory and practice
• and, in-depth contemporary case studies.

Power Talk

is the first book to focus on the topic of power in situated interaction across a range of contexts. As such, it makes a timely, and important contribution to the debate surrounding social power and language use, and will be of value to both students and researchers alike.

About the Author

Joanna Thornborrow is Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Language and Communication Research at Cardiff University. She is widely published, recently guest-editing a special issue of Discourse Studies with Theo Van Leeuwen on authenticity in media discourse, and is co-author of Patterns in Language: An Introduction to Language and Literary Style with Sh®n Wareing. She is a founder member, and co-organiser, of the Ross Priory Seminar Group on Broadcast Talk.