Willig Carla (Ed.) Applied Disourse Analysis: Social and Psychological Interventions

Buckingham: Open University Press, 1999. — 176 p. — ISBN: 0-335-20227-6.What is 'applied discourse analysis'? How can discourse analysis inform social and psychological interventions? What are the advantages and disadvantages of these applications? Discourse analysis has become increasingly popular as a research tool in psychology and as a subject taught on undergraduate courses. However, discourse analysts have been reluctant to move beyond deconstruction and to make recommendations for practice in the social world. This book seeks to identify ways in which discourse analytic research can inform recommendations for social and psychological practice. It presents six detailed discussions of discourse analytic studies, each of which engages with a contemporary social practice: reproductive technologies, police-suspect interviewing, stress self-help literature, sex education, clinical diagnoses of 'schizophrenia' and cigarette smoking. These six chapters map out a continuum of orientations to application, ranging from a clear commitment to specific interventions to a position of cautious engagement. The book concludes with a summary and evaluation of the ways in which discourse analysis may be used to reconcile the spirit of deconstruction with a commitment to practical application.Notes on contribution
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Introduction: making a difference (Carla Willig)
Stress as regimen: critical readings of self-help literature (Steven D. Brown)
'It's your opportunity to be truthful': disbelief, mundane reasoning and the investigation of crime (Timothy Auburn, Susan Lea, Susan Drake)
An analysis of the discursive position of women smokers: implications for practical interventions (Val Gillies)
Deconstructing and reconstructing: producing a reading on 'human reproductive technologies' (Joan Pujol)
Discourse analysis and sex education (Carla Willig)
Tablet talk and depot discourse: discourse analysis and psychiatric medication (David Harper)
Conclusion: opportunities and limitations of 'applied discourse analysis' (Carla Willig)