Fairclough's

Dialectical-Relational Approach

(A Sample of CDA)

Prepared By:
BEKHAL ABUBAKIR HUSSEIN
APRIL 22ND, 2017
UNIVERSITY OF SULAIMANI
Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)

▫ Is a practically-oriented form of
discourse analysis addressing a
social problem with the aim of
resisting it.
▫ It is not concerned with language or
language use per se, but with the
linguistic character of social and
cultural processes and structures .
Main Approaches to CDA
 Van Dijk Fairclough Wodak

A
A A
relational-
Socio- discourse-
dialectic
cognitive historical
approach
approach approach
N.
T. Van Dijk R. Wodak
Fairclough
 Norman Fairclough
• is considered as the most impressive and influential
practitioner in CDA as he has contributed to the
field most significantly.
• In his earlier work (1989) he called his approach to
language and discourse as Critical Language Study.
• His main objective is "to help increase
consciousness of how language contributes to the
domination of some people by others, because
consciousness is the first step for emancipation"
(Fairclough,1989:1).
 Fairclough’s Model
• From Fairclough’s perspective, discourse is a
three-dimensional concept which involves:
1) Texts (the objects of linguistic analysis)
2) Discursive practices (the production,
distribution and consumption of texts)
3) Social practices (the power relations, ideologies
and hegemonic struggles that discourses
reproduce, challenge or restructure).
These elements are the
main dimensions with
which Fairclough works
(and investigates) as
exemplified in his
diagram:
A Sample of CDA
 The Context
• Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said
on NBC’s “Meet the Press" that “the unborn
person doesn’t have constitutional rights.”
• Clinton made the statement in response to a
question from “Meet the Press” host Chuck
Todd.
• Clinton also said that an unborn child’s
constitutional rights are “not something that
exists.” (CNSNews.com)
• Democratic primary front-runner Hillary
Clinton ran afoul of both the pro-life and pro-
choice sides of the abortion debate ( in the
presidency electoral campaign April 3rd, 2016),
when she said constitutional rights do not apply
to an “unborn person” or “child.”(Washington
Times)
• “The unborn person doesn’t have constitutional
rights,” Mrs. Clinton said on NBC’s “Meet the
Press.” “Now that doesn’t mean that we don’t do
everything we possibly can in the vast majority of
instances to, you know, help a mother who is
carrying a child and wants to make sure that child
will be healthy, to have appropriate medical
support.”
• Mrs. Clinton also said “there is room for reasonable
kinds of restrictions” on abortion during the third
trimester of pregnancy.
 Text Analysis
Vocabulary Grammar Cohesion Text Structure

Deals mainly Deals with Deals with how Deals with large
with individual words clauses and scale
words: combined into sentences are organizational
clauses and linked together: properties:
sentences:
•word choice • transitivity • connectives •interactional
• word meaning • modality . argumentation control
• wording •sentence length
• metaphor and complexity
 Textual Analysis (Description)
• Vocabulary:
She has chosen the word “person” instead of
“fetus” or “baby” or “child”.

• Using the word “person” has been criticized by

both pro-life & also pro-choice supporters.
 Pro-life supporters confirm that:
• “fetus” is indeed a “person” & has divine given the
right of life.
• Here are some samples of their comments on
Clinton’s youtube video:
• “This is why rights do not come from government
but from God. Those atheists that say they can have
morality without God are proved wrong by Bill's
wife.”
• “She couldn't even look that camera in the lens and
say "child."
• “She has already said “person”, hhhh.”
 Pro-choice supporters also criticized her:

• Diana Arellano, manager of community engagement

for Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, said
that Mrs. Clinton’s comments undermined the cause
for abortion rights. She “further stigmatizes
abortion,”. “She calls a fetus an ‘unborn child’ & calls
for later term restrictions.”
• Describing the fetus as a “person” or “child” has long
been anathema to the pro-choice movement, which
argues the terms misleadingly imply a sense of
humanity.
• Choosing the term “constitutional rights”, has
the connotations that:
• She regards the law & legislations,
• She will be a guard of US constitution,
• Only the rights will be protected that have been
passed by the US constitution.
 Grammar

• The utterance has been structured in negative

declarative , simple sentence.
• Doesn’t have has been used to express negation,
it consists of does (auxiliary)+ not (negation
marker)+ have (here is used as a main verb
which implies the meaning of possession).
• Doesn’t have has been shifted to has no in some
news reports, which is more dramatic &
emphatic.
Discursive Analysis (Interpretation)

• The force of the utterance

• The coherence of the text
• The intertextuality of the text
 The Force of the Utterance

• The utterance is a direct speech act.

• The locutionary act is expressed in negative
declarative.
• The illocutionary act functions as explicit
performative, to represent the speaker’s beliefs
about Abortion.
• She has made a reference to “constitution” to
inform & assert that the issue is solved,
constitutionally.
 The Coherence of the Text

• The coherence relations in the text are

constructed inferentially.

• The hearers can conclude the speaker’s beliefs &

attitude to stand with abortion, from her speech
that “The unborn person doesn’t have
constitutional rights”.
 The intertextuality of the text

• The speaker has quoted from United States

Constitution.

• The issue of Abortion has various dimensions,

such as ethical, religious, legal, medical, social,
economical, and has also been politicized.

• These notions have all been intermingled in the

text.
 Social Analysis ( Explanation)
• In relation to ideology and power, hegemonic
struggle between the pro-choice & pro-life
supporters is observed in the text.
• The speaker dominates power due to her
professional & political status.
• The ideology behind the text is secularism, &
some feminism movements.
• The intention behind the text is to win the pro-
choice supporters votes in the presidential
election process.
• The text influences social practice legalizing &
normalizing abortion, which leads to several
consequences, like:
• More illegal relations, reduction of legal
marriages.
• More violence against women & unborn fetuses.
• More fund for abortion clinics, and more taxes
demanded from them to the government or to
support pro-choice candidates in the elections.
 Hillary Clinton:
• “I have been proud to stand with Planned
Parenthood for a long time and, as president,
I will always have your back… We need to
protect Planned Parenthood from partisan
attacks… I will be your partner in the election
and for the long haul.”
According to Family Watch International statistics, more
than 6 000 000 millions innocent babies have been
aborted in America solely since 1970.
Thank You