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Course content
This course first provides a brief general introduction to various approaches to discourse analysis, offering crucial information and suggestions for further reading, and then focuses on Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), with a strong emphasis on CDA as a method. Participants will work on practical exercises, using various discourse samples.
Discourse refers to language use and various practices related to it. Discourse produces and maintains specific representations of reality. Discourse analysis examines how language is used and how meaning is created in various social contexts, focusing on social aspects of communication and the ways people use language to achieve specific aims. Discourse analysis involves the examination of texts, utterances, and practices focusing on how these reflect, reproduce, or contest particular representations of reality.
Discourse analysis is particularly suited as a main or complementary method for analyzing various written texts (e.g., policy documents and newspaper articles) and oral texts (e.g., speeches and conversations). It examines the interaction between sociopolitical structures (i.e., various levels of context) and symbolic representations as evidenced in various broadly understood “texts” (including multimodal and visual).
CDA is particularly interested in the relationship between discourse and power in society, including the ways that discourses mirror, legitimize, or undermine existing power structures. CDA often examines:
- Ways of talking about a social phenomenon: What is present or absent?
- Subject positions and identities: How are these constructed?
- Social norms: What is represented as being “right,” “good,” or “normal”?
- Knowledge: How do discourse structures legitimize or delegitimize certain claims to knowledge?
The course addresses central themes of CDA, focusing on how discourse structures influence mental models, and how they may contribute to the manipulation of beliefs and the exercise of power.The course is open to all doctoral research fellows at HF. Participants do not need any prior experience with discourse analysis. However, the course is also relevant for those with a basic understanding of qualitative methodologies and textual analysis. Even participants that already have some knowledge of discourse analysis may benefit from the course.
The course combines lectures, seminars, and interactive sessions in which participants are expected to work with empirical data and actively contribute to the discussion.
This is a 2 ECTS course, which is taught in two half-day, and one full-day seminars.
Learning outcomes
On completion of the course, participants will have:
- A basic understanding of similarities and differences between various approaches to discourse analysis;
- An overview of and understanding of the main analytical categories and steps taken in (multimodal) CDA;
- Some experience in conducting (multimodal) CDA.
Course preparation
Participants are expected to complete the required reading before Part 1 of the seminar.
Coursework
Participants are expected to prepare for the course, participate actively in discussions, complete exercises, and briefly present aspects of their doctoral projects.
For the second part of the course (Part 2), additional reading and practical work with empirical material are required. Based on the readings prior to the course and activities of Part 1, all participants are required to write a short essay that should be submitted one week ahead of Part 2 (in November 2025). In these essays, participants should address the relevance of discourse analysis to some aspects of their ongoing projects and apply some of the categories discussed in the course or addressed in the course readings to material of their own choice. The essays should address either of the following questions, supported by a discussion:
1. Which approach to DA is most relevant for my project and why?
2. Which analytical categories from CDA are most relevant to my project, and why?
3. Choose any (multimodal) text and show how it can be analyzed applying CDA.
In their essays, participants need to use five to six texts (around 150 pages) from the list of additional reading. The texts chosen should be related to the topic of choice.
The essays may be written in English or Norwegian.
All participants must write a short essay and submit this to the course convener ten days before Part 2 (on Monday 3 November); participants are expected to read these essays and prepare brief comments to all of them.
Seminar plan
Part 1: (10 October, 2025, 09;00-12:00, and 13 October, 09:00-12.00, room 225 Henrik Wergelands hus)
Topics to be addressed at these two seminars:
- Approaches to discourse studies: similarities and differences.
- Critical discourse analysis: foundations, key concepts, main approaches, applications. How to do critical discourse analysis: analytical categories (e.g., representation of social actors, modality, presuppositions).
- Practical work:
- Exercises in CDA.
- Short presentation of doctoral projects.
Part 2 (14 November, 2025, 09:00-16:00, room 225 Henrik Wergelands hus)
Topics to be addressed at the seminar:
- How to do critical discourse analysis: analytical categories (e.g., representation of social actors, modality, presuppositions). Verbal, multimodal, and visual discourse.
- Applications of CDA in various research fields.
- Practical work:
- CDA in practice: exercises.
- Possible applications of CDA to doctoral projects.
- Work with submitted essays; commenting on each others work.
Course convener
Registration
Courses are open for PhD fellows, completion grant holders, and post-doctoral fellows at the Faculty of Humanities, other UiO faculties and external PhD fellows. Candidates admitted to the PhD programme at HF are given priority.
Deadline: 10.09.2025
There is a limit of 10 participants at this course. If you wish to be placed on a ranked waiting list when it is fully booked, get in touch with Tor Erik Risvik Johnsen: t.e.r.johnsen@ilos.uio.no