Critical emancipatory discourse analysis: a methodological essay

Abstract

This methodological essay is a proposal of a critical-emancipatory approach to discourse analysis (CE-DA), supported by hermeneutics and Lacanian epistemology. We consider this type of analysis as an interpretative procedure, which is epistemologically oriented. In doing so, we found the discussions of procedural protocols as an unfruitful debate. With the meta-analytical apparatus of the CE-DA, we argue in favor of the virtue of the researchers’ conscience about the very scientific discourse, which makes them more vigilant on their analytical posture and, consequently, their emancipatory posture in relation to the reality. Our argument is developed by appreciating the polysemy of the term emancipation, exemplified from different paradigms versed in critical discourse analyses: production, communication, and language. Constructed based on the language paradigm, we highlight the potential of CE-DA as a meta-reflexive proposal to develop discourse analysis in the social field.

Keywords:
Critical Emancipatory Discourse Analysis; Methodological Essay; Critical Hermeneutics; Researchers’ Posture