Social Actor Theory in CDA

Summary

This video discusses Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and its connection to Social Actor Theory. CDA explores how language acts as a social practice, influencing power relations and reflecting ideologies. The theory highlights how language choices can either reinforce or challenge social structures and power dynamics. It introduces the Social Actor Theory, developed by Theo van Leeuwen, which analyzes who is included, excluded, or represented in discourse. By focusing on concepts like inclusion, exclusion, activation, passivation, and nominalization, the video emphasizes the ways language shapes perceptions of power and identity in society.

Takeaways

• 😀 CDA (Critical Discourse Analysis) examines language as a social practice, where language is used to influence and shape the social world.
• 😀 Language reflects the power dynamics in society, where dominant groups often use language to uphold their ideologies.
• 😀 CDA explores who holds power, who is respected, and who is marginalized in society, as reflected in discourse.
• 😀 The way language is used—positively or negatively—shapes people's views and can influence their perceptions of good or bad.
• 😀 The goal of CDA is to analyze how language in a text reflects the ideology behind it and its social consequences.
• 😀 Social Actor Theory, introduced by Theo van Leeuwen in 1996, supports CDA by analyzing the roles and representation of actors in discourse.
• 😀 Social Actor Theory helps identify who is included or excluded in discourse and how this influences ideological representation.
• 😀 There are two main forms of exclusion in Social Actor Theory: explicit (clear) and implicit (hidden), affecting how actors are represented.
• 😀 Actors in a discourse can be portrayed as active (doing something) or passive (receiving action), influencing how their role is perceived.
• 😀 Personalization (depicting actors as individuals) and impersonalization (depicting them as non-individuals) are key concepts in Social Actor Theory.
• 😀 Nominalization (turning verbs into nouns) can obscure who the actor is in a sentence, demonstrating how certain actors may be backgrounded or hidden.

Q & A

What is the main premise of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)?

Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is based on the premise that language is a social practice, meaning language is used to achieve various social goals and can impact the social world. It reflects and sustains existing social structures, especially those controlled by dominant groups.

How does language help maintain social structures according to CDA?

According to CDA, language is a tool that helps its users produce and maintain existing social structures. When the dominant group controls the language used, it reinforces their ideology and power over others in society.

What role does ideology play in language use within CDA?

Ideology is central to CDA, as it examines how language reflects and conveys the speaker's or writer's worldview. Language choices, whether positive or negative, influence how audiences perceive and accept certain ideologies.

What is Social Actor Theory and how does it support CDA?

Social Actor Theory, proposed by Theo Van Leeuwen in 1996, supports CDA by analyzing how social actors (people or groups) are represented in discourse. It helps reveal how language choices reflect the ideologies and power dynamics in a society.

What is the purpose of using Social Actor Theory in discourse analysis?

The purpose of Social Actor Theory is to identify who is involved in a social practice, who is mentioned, omitted, or suggested in a discourse, and how these representations can reveal underlying ideologies, particularly in contexts like media or political speech.

What are the two types of exclusion in Social Actor Theory?

In Social Actor Theory, exclusion can be either explicit or implicit. Explicit exclusion means an actor is not mentioned at all, while implicit exclusion refers to an actor being presented without clear recognition, often in indirect or vague terms.

How does the concept of activation and passivation relate to Social Actor Theory?

Activation refers to when the social actor is presented as the subject performing an action, whereas passivation occurs when the actor is presented as the object receiving an action. This distinction helps analyze how power dynamics are portrayed in a text.

What is the role of personalization and impersonalization in Social Actor Theory?

Personalization refers to portraying actors as specific, identifiable individuals, while impersonalization portrays them as non-specific or general entities. These choices influence how actors are perceived in terms of their responsibility or agency within a discourse.

Can Social Actor Theory be applied to both written and spoken discourse?

Yes, Social Actor Theory can be applied to both written and spoken discourse. It is a flexible tool that allows analysts to examine power relations and ideological representations across various forms of communication, including print media, political speeches, and everyday conversations.

What is the significance of nominalization in understanding social actors in a text?

Nominalization refers to turning verbs into nouns, which can obscure or background the actor performing an action. By analyzing nominalization, researchers can understand how the agency of the actor is represented or concealed in a discourse.