Citing a current educational issue of your choice, critically discuss how the representation of education is a ‘struggle for power’ (Fairclough, 1989)

 

 

Where do I start?

Education is a contested aspect of social life, and is therefore infused with power relationships. This is reflected (and perpetuated) in the public representation of education, where it is possible to see indications of the wider struggles about education played out in specific examples of educational journalism. It is important to explore issues of representation through Critical Discourse Analysis because, as the theorists we have covered in the module point out, public discourse is always ideological and so the concepts of ‘truth’ and ‘authority’ in any discourse are highly contested.

 

How do I proceed?

This argument will be presented in your essays by:

·        Overviewing the theoretical literature on the relationships between language and power

·        Using a specific piece of journalism to critically discuss the theoretical issues in practice

 

The balance between these two elements is up to you: if you want your essay to be primarily theoretical and philosophical, you will prioritise the theoretical arguments to illustrate your point; if you want a more ‘applied’ critique, you will explain the theory succinctly and focus more on a detailed analysis of your chosen article.

 

Where’s the critique?

Critical discourse analysis critiques the use of language in practice. You have done critique if you:

·        Explain the principles of critical discourse analysis

·        Conduct some critical discourse analysis in relation to your educational issue

Go back to your week 1 lecture notes if you want to remind yourself of what constitutes critique.

 

What’s the conclusion?

Education is a contested aspect of social life, and this is reflected (and perpetuated in its public representation). The more we understand this, the greater our ability is to identify (promote and/or challenge) the way in which ideological discourse affects public perceptions of educational debates.

 

 

Annotated Article

Please attach the annotated article to your essay.

 

Theoretical Section:

Overview of the theoretical literature on the relationships between language and power

Material covered in sessions 1-5

 

Key Terms:                           

·        Ideology                

·        Hegemony

·        Discourse

 

If you present theoretical explanations of the terms in this order, you inevitably produce a critical argument about the relationship between language and power.

 

 

 

Key Theorists:

·        Eagleton

·        Richardson

·        Gramsci

·        Foucault

·        Bourdieu

 

You don’t need to include all the theorists. Choose which ones work for you when presenting your argument. But remember, Eagleton and Richardson are not as ‘heavyweight’ as the others.

 

‘Applied Critique’ section:

Specific piece of journalism to discuss the theoretical issues in practice

Application of CDA techniques covered in sessions 5 and 6 (and practised in your classroom discussions of articles)

 

CDA Techniques

·        Newspaper audiences and political bias

·        Type of article

·        Profile of author (if possible)

·        Newsworthiness and purpose of article

·        Language (an din particular, rhetorical devices) used by author to persuade the reader of their viewpoint

 

 

 

 

Theory and Ideology

·        What ideological assumptions does the article make?

·        How does the article reflect/respond to wider debates about education (and in particular, the hegemonic view about the issue it concerns)?

·        What theoretical ideas and policy influences (implicit and explicit) can be identified in the article, and how does the author work with them?

·        What theoretical perspectives can be used to analyse and respond critically to the article?

Education, Language, Power

·        How does the article illustrate the statement that ‘the representation of education is a struggle for power’?

 

Remember, Critical Discourse Analysis is an art, not a science: there are no wholly ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ interpretations – just persuasive or unpersuasive ones. The more researched and considered your CDA is, the more persuasive it will be.