Broader outside social discourses,embodiment,and technism in James Cresswell’s critique of discourse analysis methodology

Abstract

In our judgment, Cresswell’s theoretical discussion of the two main concerns with CDA methodology and the conceptual ways to deal with them is most interesting and promising. However, we found his empirical illustration of how to deal with these two concerns unconvincing, problematic, and apparently contradicting of his overall theoretical framework, but also instructional and thought-provoking. We see the main shortcoming of Cresswell’s application of his theoretical ideas to empirical research in his technism, a belief that there are methodological techniques detached from investigators’ research goals and subjectivity – a belief likely rooted in positivism. In our commentary, we want to justify our judgment and offer our own illustrations of his fruitful theoretical and methodological ideas.