MASTER DE INVESTIGACIO EN PSICOLOGIA SOCIAL Curs 2008-2009 Modul 3c ‘ANALISI DEL DISCURS' Prof. Lupicinio figuez LECTURES Lecturas Sesién 7. El Andlisis del Discurso en Psicologia Social Lycnira M3e.4 Vetherell, Maggauet (2001) Lectura M3e.18 Billig, Michael (1997)READING FIFTEEN Discursive, Rhetorical and Ideological Messages Michael Billig Source: Bil M. (1997) Diccrsive, detencl and Kecogial mesapes in C MeCaty snl A Hast (eds) The esege Sota Pycobegy. Ont, Bickel |. 1 ty and large, conventional social psychologists assume thatthe subject, ‘matter of socal psychology comprises internal tates or processes, which are themselves unobservable but which have to he Inferred from outed behaviour. For example, social psychologis, who study ates, might assume that thet oil 10 discover the ‘atitudinal system’ of individuals and to outline what fect such systems have on outward behaviour An titan! system docs no, and cannot, exist in the way that table oe chair might exist. One cant claim 6 touch oF see aa ‘atthudinl system’ Its presumed to be hidden within the individual's head, governing the way tht the indicia organizes though, experiences and reactions. By sulying systematically the individual’ reactions, the psychoopist hopes to constrict a picture ofthe hidden ‘attudinal system’ ‘What the social psychologist cannot do eo study the syser’decly, heeme i {5 unobservable, lke all the cognitive trctures which are assumed to intervene beteveen stimuli and response. Thus, much of sola psychology, espectally cognitive social psychology. has objects of study ~ whether ‘atid systems, ‘social identities" oF ‘cognitive schemata’ which are presamed to he intemal processes ands such, hidden ftom view. These object ae the focus of ‘considerable social psychological investigation, hut ae ghostly essences, Hing behind and supposedly contolling what can be diretly observed. Discursive and rhetorical psychology does not take these hieen essences as its object of stady. Instead, discursive social psychologists claim thatthe Phenomena of social psychology are constivted through social interaction, especially discursive interaction. Thus, socal psychologists should study that. ‘interaction, examining in particular the ways that language fs used in practice by [arvipants. In so doing, they will be able to observe ditetly what naw appeats tobe hidden and secret In ise this x pee novel. Seventy yeas ago the great Russian linguist and philosopher, Mikhail Bakliln, was saying simile things. In Maram and the Philoopby of uinguage. which be published for political reasons Under the ame of Volosinov, Rakin eritcied the idea tit the objects of sock Dychology were inner states (or ‘within’ the indvihal). Sci psytagy in fet yt oct anywhere within in the soul communicating subject) hut eniely aod ramp ithe he wens, the etre the ac Thee smote unexpressed n eth ier aon ie bay on the cute, wholly rouge ot in exces, why thee on ‘materi abore ali the material ofthe wer Jn Dakin’ vision of social psychology, prime importance show Ie pail wo the study of language as it 8 actually used in practice. Often Ingots hate considered langage a8 some sort of abstract system of pounce! me whereas Bakhin proposed a practical linguistics to examine Langa br scion ‘Thus, Bakhtin/Volosinov continued, ‘Socal poycholoxy i st aad even ae atmosphere made up of multifarious speech performances’ and, as sacl saced Psychology exits peimarily in a wide variety of forms of “utlessnce” of like ‘speech genes of icin and external nd (Volcano, 1978 19-2) Bakhtin was suggesting that psychological states, as commonly unersood, ie Torii in interaction, especialy teraction involving the se 0 inguape, ni mishes to study such sates, then one should stucy interaction sid uttersscee Similar points were made by the philosopher Wit ‘ho has provided the intellectual inspiration for imponant strands of eee Sal psychology. lle Shotter’s (19934 and 1993) scholarly and important analyses make chan ‘Witgensien, in his later philosophy, advocated that close attention shovld he aid tothe use of language. Philosophers, Witgenscin argued, are monet ‘muddle if they do net understand the customary practices ol language, och he «alled "language games. Given that language is socially sharet there muse public crtei forthe use of words. We earn howto use wows such as ae: ead ‘chai hy observing how these more are vse inthis way, we lean to pay the appropriate language games, in which such words ate sed. eof ‘Wiugensten’s great insights was to claim that precisely the same happens with the use of psychological words, such as ‘temember: fee or ‘sce. Mew words ‘ate used in various Tanguage games’ and their sense must he understond in eae ofthe practices of their usige. Whtgenstein warned gains acaming that sath Psychological words stand for internal processes, which prowl te cies ‘sage. Children leamn to se language such a8 remember have stot ie the sare say that they lean other concepts; and they ca he caret tein usage Is incorrect. The rts for using such word cannot be incr. pve sates. As Whtgensiin stated in Pblosapbical Investigations, an “amet enens Stand in need of outward extra’ (1983: remate 580) ns consequence, if we ash 10 study ‘memory’, ‘perception, ‘emotion. we should not be searching forthe hidden inner proceses, which ane ese no stand behind the use of these words. To search for such emis & 9 witake As Wittgenstein wrote i 4 misleading parle to say thet ‘pycholony tes of Processes in the psychical sphere, a8 does physics inthe physica a 138s remark 7D. Seeing, hearing. thinking and feeling ave not “she subject of psychology in the same sense a6 the physical movement ate the sleet ‘matter of physics; physicists ee, heat. think about and inform et ahr the subjects of ther reearch, whereas the paychologie eberes the exon! factions Ghe behaviour ofthe subject" (Wigenstein, 1953. remusk So emphasis in origina) ‘The implication is that we should eudy memory. perception or emition hy {avestigating the relevant language games’ or what Haku cael tne peones2 ay rine READING FEES Luverance’, tention should he pai to the ways in which people tak about theit ‘memories, perceptions and emotions. In so doing, we wil discover the outward (rte forthe social usage of thee words. These criteria wil be rooted in social practices As wil be suggested, more is involved. By taking seriously the ide that Peychology is constitoted in language, # wll then become possible to study Cirecly the processes of thinking Collective memory 1 vr ieee “hein ofan and Wingenin cane wod to const very seer Rtpinat sel yycteogy tant mich cmenenally Paced Fis cae be lasted oly mth sespect to wo op, which have long Deen Tati the conventions! stay of wc payhology- memory and ates. revel sino tave ao feces nde by curse peje, Andon bth won, Whigensem mad impetan enaso FosapietInsesegat emt ate dacs he pl of memory a tems fhe ig and ccneting of sul information, Ma elon ha heen devoted 0 covering Sherine proce f er and eel ier when sma oration ssh oppose w races) romersered In these vestigations, the ‘eres ta sage stems cat be obwereed dc they have tobe infer fom the sks which subjects ate insted opesorm under pcrmentconvons Ter example. cognvepychotonsts might alk about "mer Onno for Hs eon, 98 bt te rel packets whch canbe put under the microscope a nernes can be NO Epc im to sea MOP, aloo Ms se prenmed to determin the business of remembing pecsse papcelogie av searching for nknowable cits, the ten to pay tule atenton tothe socal act hich fs occrlog when remembering is ting pee bah maul and inthe pycholgia boeny. That this acy {Sitch peal glossed ever othe descriptions of procedure i he “apermert repre may be cro sped by one of Witgenste's tek in Poubsopbicl nests (remark 38). Wigestein was {Tocaing the spose oe of nner processes in memory He sugested tak thetoue amar eberner inner proceses cer, when pepe af remember Mung the pit was 0 spect hat means to am that sich ner processes teat He seed tat he sty of remembering ould ret be undersiond a, Gm inet proces (for oxample, the hidden NOPs tacked away in the nda ead) Wigensen see hat he does deny tat here might be once froveset Quite the contrary ‘wha we deny sha the picture ofthe ner process ges us he comet Ke of the nse of the word to remeer We say Ua hs piare we es ramifications ste he ay of ou secing the we of the Wr 3H onapnsten, 1953, 102) For Witgenstein, to understand ‘remembering’ one must investigate how the wont vemember fused, shen people ate said to be remembering Iman & nS HERON Ae RCRA, MESES as |Witgensten, in common with other inguistic philosophers, tended 10 analyse hypothetical examples, However, his insights lead the way to the ‘empirical analysis of words in actual social interaction, Conversation analysts have developed techniques and theoretical concepts forthe imkro analysis of conversational data (Antaki, 1994: Heritage, 1984). Much of the imtellecal impews for sich work was derwed from the pioneering work of Harvey Sacks (eg. Sacks, 19724 and 19725). Conversation analysts have revealed the enormous complexity ofthe most trivial seeming exchanges. Ca Many ofthe techniques of conversation analysis were develope intally for the analysis of routine exchanges rater than for discourse, wih wses psychological words. Discursive psychologists have heen able 10 show how these techniques could be applied to talk about psychological phenomena, such as claims to remember rings. When such tal is analyse! then pychooyseal phenomena, such as remembering, ate not scen toe located it hxdlen mental entities, but are rooted in social and discursive activity {Edwards and Middeton (1986) observed moshers looking a phot alboms with deir young children. As they talked, the mehers were telling the chien bout memory. Not only were they recalling the events ofthe past, and prowling ‘memory stories forthe children 1 repes, but they were also Commeanicating the ‘ots of things which should be remembered, oF considered memorable. ta +0 doing they were instructing the children haw the evens ofthe past should be ‘remembered and, ths, what tt means to remember. In this way, remembering is ‘ot an individual psychological process, which happens spontaneity. ti 8 social activity, which. Hike other social aetvtes, has to he learnt in oder to he performed proficient Discursive psychologists are particulary interested in observing what people are doing when they make memory-