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nadiaqasim2003### **Part 1: Understanding Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)**
**Definition:**
CDA is an analytical research field that investigates how **social power abuse,
dominance, and inequality** are enacted, reproduced, and resisted through text and
talk. It moves beyond just describing language to uncovering "opaque" or hidden
relationships between discourse and wider social structures.
**Core Aims:**
* **To Denaturalize Discourse:** To show that certain ways of speaking or writing
that seem "natural" are actually ideologically shaped to serve those in power.
* **Awareness and Resistance:** To provide the "less lay people" or the powerless
with tools of critical thinking so they can recognize and resist manipulation by the
elite.
* **Social Change:** To investigate social inequality and offer a way to challenge
and change it.
**Key Principles (for Short Questions):**
1. CDA addresses social problems.
2. Power relations are discursive (created through language).
3. Discourse constitutes society and culture.
4. Discourse is historical.
5. The link between text and society is mediated (not direct).
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### **Part 2: Norman Fairclough’s Three-Dimensional Model**
Fairclough is considered the "nucleus" of the field because he created the first clear
theoretical framework. He views language as a **social practice**, meaning it is a
central part of society, not external to it.
**The Three Stages of Analysis:**
1. **Description (Text Analysis):**
* Focuses on the **formal linguistic features** (vocabulary, grammar).
* It is "selective"—the researcher chooses elements relevant to their data.
* This stage identifies the **"whatness"** of the discourse.
2. **Interpretation (Processing Analysis):**
* Explores how the text is **produced** (writing/designing) and **consumed**
(reading/viewing).
* Includes the **situational context** (time and place) and the **inter-textual
context** (the participants involved).
* This stage identifies the **"howness"**.
3. **Explanation (Social Analysis):**
* Looks at **socio-cultural practice** and the "power behind discourse".
* Aims to reveal hidden ideologies that govern social structures.
* This stage identifies the **"whyness"**.
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### **Part 3: Teun van Dijk’s Socio-Cognitive Model**
Van Dijk emphasizes **cognition**. He believes power is exercised by controlling
the **minds and beliefs** of others.
**The Analytical Triangle:**
* **Discourse:** The communicative event (text, oral interaction, visuals).
* **Cognition:** The "bridge" between society and discourse. It includes **mental
models** and shared social knowledge/ideologies that control how we produce and
understand text.
* **Society:** The social structures, ranging from local interactions (micro) to
global systems like politics and class (macro).
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### **Part 4: Key Differences and Resemblances**
**The Major Difference:**
* **Fairclough’s Approach:** Focuses on the **social practice** level—how
society and its structures directly influence and are influenced by discourse.
* **Van Dijk’s Approach:** Focuses on the **cognitive interface**—arguing that
discourse cannot affect society (or vice versa) without first passing through the
"mental models" of the people involved.
**The Resemblance (How to map them for a Long Question):**
The sources note a "close and clear resemblance" between the two models:
* **Fairclough's Description** $\approx$ **van Dijk's Discourse**.
* **Fairclough's Interpretation** $\approx$ **van Dijk's Cognition**.
* **Fairclough's Explanation** $\approx$ **van Dijk's Society**.
---
### **Part 5: How to Perform Visual Analysis & Practical Steps**
**Visual Analysis:**
* In Fairclough’s model, the **Description** stage specifically includes "visual
verbal and visual texts".
* In van Dijk’s model, **Discourse** includes semiotic signifiers like **body
movements and pictures**.
* Analyzing visuals involves looking at how images and design choices (like layout
or symbols) contribute to the hidden ideology.
**Practical Steps for Analysis (Based on van Dijk):**
To detect hidden ideology in any discourse, follow these steps:
1. **Evaluate Formal Structures:** Look at the grammar, vocabulary, and visual
design.
2. **Examine Background:** Research the historical, political, and social context
of the event.
3. **Analyze Power Relations:** Identify who has the power, who is being
dominated, and what the conflicts are.
4. **Identify Stance:** Look for the opinions, attitudes, and "positive vs. negative"
framing used by the author.
5. **Uncover Implicit Meanings:** Make the "presupposed" or "implied" messages
explicit (the things they say without actually saying them).
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### **Part 6: Concept of Ideology (Short Note)**
Ideology is a **framework of social cognition** shared by a group. Dominant
groups "naturalize" their ideologies, making their specific interests seem like
"general" or "natural" truths that everyone should accept. CDA's job is to
**demystify** these texts to show how they impose assumptions on people without
them knowing.