Скачать или смотреть Discursive & Non-Discursive Strategies / Practices in Discourse

Discursive practices refer to the ways in which language is used in specific social contexts to perform actions, construct identities, and shape social realities. In discourse analysis, examining discursive practices involves analyzing how language is employed within particular communities, institutions, or social groups to achieve specific effects, such as asserting power, building relationships, or creating meaning. These practices are not just about the content of communication but also about the processes and conventions that govern how communication takes Discursive practices are not just about conveying information but also about performing actions. Speech acts, a concept from pragmatics, are central to understanding how language can be used to do things like make promises, give orders, or offer apologies.

Speech Acts: These are utterances that perform an action by being spoken. For example, saying “I apologize” is an act of apologizing.
Performativity: This concept, popularized by Judith Butler, extends the idea of speech acts to suggest that identities and social roles are performed through repeated discursive practices.
Example: In a courtroom, the phrase “I find the defendant guilty” is not merely a statement of fact but a performative utterance that enacts a legal judgment. The judge’s discursive practice of delivering this verdict is an example of how language can function as a form of action.
Discursive practices often involve intertextuality, where texts refer to, borrow from, or respond to other texts. This interconnectedness of texts contributes to the construction of meaning and the reinforcement or challenging of discursive practices.

Intertextual Links: Discursive practices draw on previous texts, traditions, or discourses, creating a web of references that shape how a text is interpreted.
Cultural Resonance: Intertextual references can evoke cultural or historical meanings that enrich the text’s significance.
Non-discursive strategies refer to practices, structures, and material realities that shape discourse but are not purely linguistic. These include visual, spatial, institutional, and embodied actions that influence meaning-making.

Common Non-Discursive Strategies
Spatial Arrangements and Architecture

Example: The layout of a courtroom—judge elevated, defendant below—reinforces authority hierarchies.
Example: Borders and walls symbolizing division (e.g., Berlin Wall, US-Mexico border).
Symbolism in Images and Objects

Flags, uniforms, logos carry ideological meaning.
Example: The swastika historically signified peace in some cultures but is now globally associated with Nazism.
Body Language and Gestures

Politicians using open palms for honesty vs. pointing for aggression.
Example: Leaders using staged photo-ops to project power or solidarity.
Media Framing Through Images and Layout

News media choosing certain images to evoke specific emotions.
Example: A protest shown with burning cars vs. people peacefully marching—shapes public perception.
Economic and Institutional Policies as Silent Discursive Acts

Laws and policies regulate discourse without explicit language.
Example: Policies restricting certain languages in schools reinforce linguistic hierarchies (Linguicism).
Technology and Digital Interfaces

Social media algorithms shaping visibility of certain discourses.
Example: Shadowbanning certain political viewpoints affects discourse circulation.