Discourse and Identity - Softcover

Benwell, Bethan; Stokoe, Elizabeth

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0748617507 ISBN 13: 9780748617500

Publisher: Edinburgh University Press, 2006

Synopsis

'Identity' is a central organizing feature of our social world. Across the social sciences and humanities, it is increasingly treated as something that is actively and publicly accomplished in discourse. This book defines identity in its broadest sense, in terms of how people display who they are to each other. Each chapter examines a different discursive environment in which people do 'identity work': everyday conversation, institutional settings, narrative and stories, commodified contexts, spatial locations, and virtual environments. The authors describe and demonstrate a range of discourse and interaction analytic methods as they are put to use in the study of identity, including 'performative' analyses, conversation analysis, membership categorization analysis, critical discourse analysis, narrative analysis, positioning theory, discursive psychology and politeness theory. The book aims to give readers a clear sense of the coherence (or otherwise) of these different approaches, the practical steps taken in analysis, and their situation within broader critical debates. Through the use of detailed and original 'identity' case studies in a variety of spoken and written texts in order, the book offers a practical and accessible insight into what the discursive accomplishment of identity actually looks like, and how to go about analyzing it. Features: *Accessible introduction to the study of discourse and identity across a variety of contexts. *Interdisciplinary in scope, the book is relevant to a wide range of courses such as English language and linguistics, psychology, media, cultural studies, gender studies and sociology. *Each chapter includes a critical overview of work in the area, original case studies, practical instruction for analyses, points for further discussion and suggested reading.

About this title

Review:

"Discourse and Identity is the first scholarly map of the field and is a 'must own book' for every identity researcher." -- Margaret Wetherell

" "Discourse and Identity" is the first scholarly map of the field and is a 'must own book' for every identity researcher." -- Margaret Wetherell, Open University

" Discourse and Identity is the first scholarly map of the field and is a 'must own book' for every identity researcher." -- Margaret Wetherell, Open University

" "Discourse and Identity" is the first scholarly map of the field and is a 'must own book' for every identity researcher." -- Margaret Wetherell, Open University

"While "Discourse and Identity" illustrates a number of different approaches in depth, including discursive psychology, critical discourse analysis, and several types of narrative analysis, the book's particular strength is in demonstrating the techniques and advantages of ethnomethodology and conversation analysis as tools for illuminating the workings of identity as an interactional achievement." -- Mary Bucholtz, University of California, Santa Barbara

While "Discourse and Identity" illustrates a number of different approaches in depth, including discursive psychology, critical discourse analysis, and several types of narrative analysis, the book's particular strength is in demonstrating the techniques and advantages of ethnomethodology and conversation analysis as tools for illuminating the workings of identity as an interactional achievement.--Mary Bucholtz, University of California, Santa Barbara

"Discourse and Identity" is the first scholarly map of the field and is a 'must own book' for every identity researcher.--Margaret Wetherell, Open University

About the Author:

Bethan Benwell is Lecturer in English Language and Linguistics, University of Stirling Elizabeth Stokoe is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences at Loughborough University.

About this edition

• Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0748617507
• ISBN 13: 9780748617500
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 328