ABSTRACT

Critical discourse analysts are being pulled in two directions. On one side, in the age of validity, inter-rater reliability and evidence-based research, it can seem subversive when researchers ‘tell stories’ (rather than ‘write reports’, ‘produce findings’ or ‘demonstrate effectiveness’). On the other side, public relations departments encourage researchers to use ‘storytelling’ techniques to engage public audiences. In this paper, I draw on social and cultural theory to assume that critical discourse analyses are always already narrative. I propose that we embrace (rather than hide) the storytelling qualities of our research. Using similar strategies for all audiences, we undermine traditional power hierarchies between researchers and ‘the public’. Critical discourse analysis then performs its own critical approach. The paper also explores the potential of adopting a ‘carrier bag theory’ of storytelling (Le Guin) rather than telling ‘hero’ stories and reflects on the epistemological, relational and political work done by storytellers in critical discourse studies.

摘要

批判性话语分析家正被拉向两个方向。一方面，在有效性，评估者之间的信度和基于证据的研究时代，当研究人员“讲故事”（而不是“撰写报告”，“产生发现”或“展示有效性”）时，似乎具有颠覆性。另一方面，公共关系部门鼓励研究人员使用“讲故事”的技术来吸引公众。在本文中，我借鉴社会和文化理论来假设批判性话语分析始终是叙事性的。我建议我们拥抱（而不是隐藏）我们研究的讲故事的品质。对所有受众使用类似的策略，我们会破坏研究人员和“公众”之间的传统权力等级制度。批判性话语分析然后执行其自己的批判性方法。