George Bush issues verdict over Betty Lou Beets case

[Barbara Johnstone]

--On Saturday, February 26, 2000, 10:59 PM +0100 "Teun A. van Dijk"
<teun at HUM.UVA.NL> wrote:

>. And yes, I think the little we can
> do about this as discourse analysts is to critically analyze and denounce
such
> discourse legitimating the barbaric act of capital punishment.



"Critically analyzing and denouncing" discourses such is this is certainly a
start.  It's better than acting as if our only job were to describe
discourse, leaving decisions about social action up to others.  But we still
have to find ways of doing more than analyzing and denouncing from the
sidelines; we have to find ways to articulate the analytical work we do best
with real social action.  This may be where we need to look to rhetoric, not
just the critical tradition in rhetoric but the productive tradition of
engagement in public political and economic life.  We are trying to do this
in various ways where I am, most rather ad hoc: doctoral students who do
discourse analysis are encouraged to engage with the people they study as
consultants or assistants, undergraduate and MA sudents in professional and
technical writing are encouraged to be critical analysts as well as niche
producers of discourse.  But articulating critical analysis and socially
conscientious rhetorical production continues to be the most difficult
aspect of making our programs work.  I'd be eager to hear what works in
other programs.

Barbara


____________________________

Barbara Johnstone
Department of English
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh PA  15213-3890
bj4 at andrew.cmu.edu
+1 412 268 6447