Review Essay: Advances, Continuities and Ruptures in Two Editions of "Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis" by R. Wodak and M. Meyer

Abstract

In Latin America, Teun VAN DIJK is likely the most read theorist of critical discourse analysis (CDA). Equally important is the book "Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis," edited by Ruth WODAK and Michael MEYER. Published in English for the first time in 2001, a second edition appeared in 2009. In this article my proposal is to compare both editions to illustrate continuities and ruptures between them and note the most important innovations I observe in the more recent edition. The analysis comprises the chapters focused on the theoretical and methodological bases of CDA and on the "discourse-historical approach" developed by WODAK and colleagues. I observe that the concerns of CDA are still the same; for example, the analysis of power or interdisciplinary work. At the same time, it is noticeable that during the past several years, CDA has become a well established method with world-wide dissemination. Issues of  theory and methodology, such as concepts and categories of analysis have been improved and clarified, e.g. the famous "discursive strategies."

URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs140292