Abstract
Tracking Discourses focuses on the use of two critical approaches to discourse: Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Discourse Theory (DT). The 11 chapters are a collection of studies, many of which are part of larger research projects (such as PhDs), which utilize one or other approach in a Swedish context. Both CDA and DT have gained increased attention in Swedish academia, but this work has not yet been communicated in English-language and other international literature (p. 7). Thus, Tracking Discourses seeks to provide English-language literature that reflects the interest in and new work using CDA and DT in Scandinavia (p. 37).
Annika Sjölander introduces the book with a critical comparison of CDA and DT, lamenting the lack of theoretical dialogue between the proponents of the two approaches (p. 36). The introduction provides a detailed theoretical background, setting the tone for the rest of the contributions which explore discourse from a variety of disciplines using either CDA or DT. The chapters are organized mostly by content, moving from education to identity construction and finally to studies based in the Swedish Norrland. Although the contributions stem from differing theoretical perspectives, their analytical uses of CDA and DT link them as a common thread throughout the book.
Chapters 3 and 4 use a DT approach to analyse educational policy documents in Sweden. Carlbaum focuses on the construction of gender and citizenship, while Isaksson tracks shifts in terminology and approaches to special needs students. In Chapter 5, Ngeh employs CDA to examine how structural and institutional factors discriminate against Cameroonian students in Swedish universities and how students, in turn, react to and resist constraints. In Chapter 6, Sylwan examines the discourses of paternal leave on Swedish television news reports which, through both interview-oriented and visual means, are helping construct fatherhood in Sweden. The next two chapters explore online identity construction: Johansson investigates the opposing constructed identities of ‘cutters’ (those who engage in self-injurious practices), using a discourse theoretical approach, and Hendrick uses nexus analysis and a multimodal framework to examine pseudonymous blogging. Chapter 9 is an analysis of corporate self-representation in annual reports using a combination of CDA and corpus-based techniques. The final two chapters explore discourses of location in the Swedish Norrland: Landén analyses interviews with public sector employees who are relocating to explore their fantasies and ideological ideals using fantasmatic logic, and Lundgren’s examination of ageing in Norrland applies discourse theory to analyse interviews of older people in the area.
Tracking Discourses is a useful collection for those new to CDA and DT approaches as it gives a detailed overview and examples throughout the study contributions. Additionally, for those already familiar with the theoretical approaches, this collection highlights the work being done in Scandinavia for the English-speaking world. True to its purpose, the book acts as a space for dialogue between CDA and DT and brings their use in the Swedish context to a wider audience.