This course provides an introduction and overview over the disciplines of political and critical discourse analysis. The course will focus on various scholars and their approaches to political discourse analysis as a tool to analyzing power relations. There is no set single approach, as the field is quite porous. The related works of scholars will be made available for the students for reading, analysis, and reflection during the course.

After the course, the students are expected to better understand the various approaches to political discourse analysis and are better equipped to utilize these theories in their forthcoming work. The students will be more adept at spotting discursive practices in political speech and the media and evaluate possible underlying modes of argumentation.

The language of the course is English, so students are expected to be reasonably proficient in reading and writing academic texts in this language.

Email registration to mikko.poutanen@uta.fi

Fairclough, Isabela and Fairclough, Norman. Political discourse analysis: a method for advanced students. Routledge, 2012.

van Dijk, Teun A. Discourse and Power. Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. 

Wodak, R. (ed.) Benjamin, 1988. Language, power, and ideology: studies in political discourse.

The course can be taken as a part of the intermediate (aineopinnot) or advanced studies (syventävät opinnot). The intermediate studies completion is 5 credits, advanced studies 10 credits. Evaluation criteria includes active participation in the seminar, topical presentation in seminar, and essay (8–12 pages on one of the presented approaches).

For 10 credits the students will do a longer independent written work, as well as face more stringent grading.

For more details, contact the teacher responsible. Final course requirements will be given in the course syllabus.