Animals and the Discourse of Farming in Southern Africa

2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Les Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
South African ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
World View ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Animal Farming ◽  
Nonhuman Animals ◽  
A Minor

AbstractThis paper looks at discourses related to animal farming in a popular South African farming magazine. The paper analyzes four ar ticles using a form of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Despite varying widely in content and style, all articles draw from the discourses of production and science; two also show a minor discourse of achievement. With further work, it is possible to discern a fourth, deeply embedded discourse: that of enslavement. This also was present in all the articles. These discourses objectify nonhuman animals and support a world-view of teleological anthropocentrism that fits well with present capitalist practices.

From COVID-19 to COVID-666: Quasi-religious mentality and ideologies in Nigerian coronavirus pandemic discourse

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lily Chimuanya ◽  
Ebuka Elias Igwebuike
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
World View ◽  
Moral Panic ◽  
Frame Theory ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Descriptive Names ◽  
The Devil

In response to the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, different religious-immune conspiracy theories emerged to explain the increasing scary situation in Nigeria. Emerging multifarious narratives of the contagion, which are embedded in peculiar Nigerian socio-religiosity and religious economy, reconstructed the discourses into two complexities: corona disease is an invention of the devil and other dark evil forces, and corona disease is a sign of the end of times. The obvious fabrications escalated uncertainties surrounding the pandemic as well as generated anxiety and fears among potential believers who sermonize spiritual vigilance for the ‘final battle and journey’. Drawing insights from critical discourse analysis, moral panic and frame theory, this study explores discursive means through which the pandemic is represented and reconstructed as long-awaited ‘doomsday’ warning in Nigerian online communities. Findings reveal instances of varying descriptive names, lexical derivations and discursive frames that reflect counter belief and quasi-religious ideologies. The study argues that complex religious doctrines rooted in antichrist or mark of the beast view, socio-religious ideologies of dominionism and overcommernism, cultural and personal linguistic processes have all contributed in shaping and institutionalizing the viral ‘apocalyptic’ world-view of the outbreak.

“There Is No Wild”

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 462-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Bell
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Cultural Changes ◽  
Discursive Strategies ◽  
Nature And Culture ◽  
Nonhuman Animals

This paper documents the discourse used by contemporary circuses to justify their exploitation of nonhuman animals. The circus is undergoing redefinition due to cultural changes, animal welfare concerns, and political legislation. Critical Discourse Analysis is applied to a sample of articles (N= 128) on animals in circuses published inusnewspapers and magazines from 2007 to 2012. Analyses revealed that circus discourse attempts to (a) promote the circus as an ecologically important endeavor, (b) minimize the differences between human and nonhuman animals, (c) naturalize culturally induced behavior, (d) assert that captivity is preferable to the wild, and (e) collapse domesticity and wildness. These discursive strategies serve to legitimize, naturalize, and produce consent for the use of nonhuman animals in circuses. Furthermore, circus discourse conceptualizes nature and culture in ways that are ideologically significant and detrimental to the promotion of a conservation mindset.

scholarly journals Islam in the Digital Films Expose the Good Sides of Muslims

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 354
Author(s):  
Primi Rohimi
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Film Studies ◽  
World View ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Generation Gap ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Islamic World ◽  
Important Message ◽  
Long Run

Film studies mostly show Islam in negative representation. From streaming film website, we can easily find many films that show Muslims stories. For example, Children of Heaven, Le Grand Voyage, My Name is Khan, etc. Those films do not seem to show Muslims as terrorist. They show Muslims life in various cultures and stories. The problem is what good sides of Muslims in the films can counter the negative stereotypes of Muslims in Hollywood images. Using Critical Discourse Analysis, this research exposes the good sides of Muslims in films. There is an Islamic world view in Children of Heaven. Some things may seem bad but then turn out to be good in the long run. My Name is Khan has a very important message about Islam. That is Islam is a peace and love religion. Le Grand Voyage shows a signification generation gap of Muslims. They are secular and devout Muslims. But they can communicate moderately.

scholarly journals Education, Ideology and Social Effigies: Exploring Facets from the English Course Books of the Greek State Primary Education

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikos Fotopoulos ◽  
Vicky Karra ◽  
Christos Zagkos
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
English Language ◽  
World View ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Primary State ◽  
Social Events ◽  
State Education ◽  
Cultural Themes

Textbooks are important in many ways as they influence a student or a learner inside and outside school. Since students spend quite some time on textbooks especially in the Greek society, they are regarded more important and influential than friends, teachers, school and classroom activities, games, media and society. What needs to be considered before starting the analysis is the fact that ideology plays a significant role through the process of shaping collective representations. Additionally, it is a way of referring to a world-view of a particular culture due to their drastic impact to social consciousness. It is important to mention here that the term ‘culture’ is used in a broad sense to denote customs, attitudes and perceptions accepted and formed by people of a society, ideas and beliefs. The present article is a critical discourse analysis of ideological contents related to culture in Greek English language books of the Greek primary state education. It critically examines the following books: English 5th Grade and English 6th Grade which are taught in all primary state schools in Greece. The analysis aims at finding out the cultural ideologies which are embedded in the aforementioned textbooks. Fairclough’s analytical framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (henceforth CDA) will be partly implemented in order to explore cultural themes related to social events. Related often to CDA, the term ideology does not have an exact meaning or definition since it is looked at differently in several contexts, thus making its perspectives a bit elusive. However, trying to have at least a bit of understanding of it, the objectives of this discourse analysis of the Greek textbooks are: a) to see how far they pose an impact on the learners’ worldviews, b) to examine the relationship between dominant ideology, national identity and textbook content, c) to interpret their role through the educational apparatuses & d) to be aware concerning issues such as leisure time, social and cultural effigies.

Exploring Higher Education Students’ Technological Identities using Critical Discourse Analysis

2013 ◽  
pp. 181-198
Author(s):  
Cheryl Brown ◽  
Mike Hart
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
South African ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Social Identities ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
Analytical Device

This chapter applies a critical theory lens to understanding how South African university students construct meaning about the role of ICTs in their lives. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) has been used as a theoretical and analytical device drawing on theorists Fairclough and Gee to examine the key concepts of meaning, identity, context, and power. The specific concepts that inform this study are Fairclough’s three-level framework that enables the situating of texts within the socio-historical conditions and context that govern their process, and Gee’s notion of D(d)iscourses and conceptualization of grand societal “Big C” Conversations. This approach provides insights into students’ educational and social identities and the position of globalisation and the information society in both facilitating and constraining students’ participation and future opportunities. The research confirms that the majority of students regard ICTs as necessary, important, and valuable to life. However, it reveals that some students perceive themselves as not being able to participate in the opportunities technology could offer them. In contrast to government rhetoric, ICTs are not the answer but should be viewed as part of the problem. Drawing on Foucault’s understanding of power as a choice under constraint, this methodological approach also enables examination of how students are empowered or disempowered through their Discourses about ICTs.

scholarly journals Axing the Rainbow

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Irina Turner
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
South African ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Academic Institutions ◽  
African Nation ◽  
Current State ◽  
Systemic Discrimination ◽  
Social Disparity

Today, the Rainbow Nation as the central metaphor for postapartheid South Africa falls short of serving as a unifying identification marker due to its tendency to gloss over contrasting living realities of diversified identities and ongoing systemic discrimination. The South African Fallism movements – the student-driven protests against neocolonial structures in academic institutions – spearheaded public criticism with the current state of ongoing social disparity in South Africa and revived the critique of so-called rainbowism, i.e., the belief that a colour-blind society can be created. In an application of Critical Discourse Analysis focusing on mythical metaphors, this article asks to what extent the new president Cyril Ramaphosa in his maiden State of the Nation Address projected a post-Zuma South African nation and answered to the challenges posed by Fallists.

scholarly journals A critical discourse analysis of selected news reports of South Africa xenophobic attacks of Nigerians

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 62-69
Author(s):  
Gideon Abioye Oyedeji ◽  
◽  
Nabila Idoko Idris ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
South African ◽  
News Media ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
News Reports ◽  
Colonial Experience

The incessant xenophobic attacks of Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa have generated a unique discourse in the Nigerian media and in fact, other mainstream media on the African continent and international scene. These attacks are viewed by the international community as incompatible with 21st century civility. This paper therefore, engages the reports of selected news media in Nigeria, South African and other media houses with a view to explicating the ideologies that underpin each report seeing through the insight of Van Dijk, Norman Fairclough and Ruth Wodak’s models of Critical Discourse Analysis. A total of 10 report on the 2015-2019 xenophobia were purposively selected from the online outlets of these media houses. The study therefore found that the use of language by the Nigerian media shows that the polarisation tilted towards emphasising the positive ‘in-group’ description of the heinous acts visited on innocent Nigerians in South Africa whereas the South African and other news media brought to perspective the negative ‘out-group’ description of “some” Nigerians who are engaged in illegal businesses in their South Africa. The lexical choices contribute in significant ways to show the ideologies each reporters represent. The study submits that, these attacks by South Africans on fellow African Nationals are nefarious, iniquitous, atrocious and roguish perhaps because of their colonial experience.

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