Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T23:21:14.477Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Shi-Xu, A cultural approach to discourse

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 August 2006

J. W. Unger
Affiliation:
Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YT, [email protected]

Extract

Shi-Xu, A cultural approach to discourse. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. Pp. x, 233. Hb $69.95.

This book presents Shi-xu's theoretical and methodological framework for discourse analysis, which he terms the Cultural Approach to Discourse (CAD), and critiques what he sees as the predominantly “Western” canon of social science research so far. Shi-xu argues, often convincingly and engagingly, that culture has a far more important role to play than it has hitherto enjoyed in Western approaches to discourse. He positions himself as a researcher operating from “in-between” cultures. After critiquing Western theories and methodologies of discourse research such as representationalism, universalism, and foundationalism, Shi-xu sets out the theoretical and methodological framework for CAD, and then proceeds to give practical examples of how the approach can be applied to research. Unfortunately, there are a few incongruities between the claims the author makes about his book and more generally about his approach, and what the book actually contains and what CAD is shown to have achieved. I will highlight these in the course of describing the different sections of the book. As a whole, however, A cultural approach to discourse contains much that will interest “Western” social scientists; it could serve as a guide to those who have previously ignored “culture” in their research (at least, in the author's estimation of the term), and will perhaps lead to interesting debates with those who have already incorporated some conception (perhaps an opposing one) of “culture” in their theoretical frameworks.

Type
BOOK REVIEWS
Copyright
© 2006 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Teo, Peter (2000). Racism in the news: A critical discourse analysis of news reporting in two Australian newspapers. Discourse & Society 11:749.Google Scholar
Titscher, Stefan; Meyer, Michael; Wodak, Ruth; & Vetter, Eva (2000). Methods of text and discourse analysis. London: Sage.