Being critical is not always an easy task, especially when the object of our research is our primary tool: discourse. In fact, the critical discourse analyst Teun van Dijk argues that “we need a more explicit analysis of the very notion of what it means to be ‘critical’ […]” (2015, p. 479). According to the critical pedagogue Joe L. Kincheloe, this notion, when used in an academic context, is a “difficult animal to describe” (2008, p. 48) because there are many approaches to this concept; its meaning is always changing and evolving; and critical theorists avoid giving it too much specificity in order to leave room for development.
However, the word ‘critical’ has a long theoretical tradition. Its roots were established by the Frankfurt School in the 1930’s. In its beginnings, critical analysts were preoccupied by the changing nature of capitalism and the mutating forms of domination that accompanied this change (Kincheloe, 2008). For this reason, the first critical analysts were committed to unveil how injustice and subjugation shaped the world beyond the economic scenarios. Nowadays, a critical social theory studies “issues of power and justice and the ways that the economy, matters of race, class and gender, ideologies, discourses, education, religion, social institutions and cultural dynamics interact to construct a social system” (Kincheloe, 2008, p. 49).
Thus, in order to be ‘critical’, Kincheloe explains, one has to become an “awkward detective, always interested in uncovering social structures, discourses, ideologies, and epistemologies that prop up both the status quo and a variety of forms of privilege” (2008, p. 50). Moreover, being critical in the 21st century means to be aware of how hegemonic ideologies are constantly enacted and contested through various forms of discourse. However, it seems that many critical discourse analysts are not taking into account this struggle. They are still adhered to a monolithic and unidirectional notion of ideology that cannot be challenged by the oppressed.
In the exercise of being critical, I will start with the evaluation of my own “critical” research to determine whether I considered the discursive tensions between the dominant and dominated groups.
For my master’s dissertation, I studied the representation of students in the media during the University of Puerto Rico’s strike of 2010. More specifically, I examined the discursive practices used to describe students in three Puerto Rican newspapers. My aim was to uncover the prejudice against students in the news. And I did just that using critical discourse analysis as my theoretical and methodological framework.
Although I exposed and described how dominant ideologies were reproduced in news’ discourse, I realized now that I was not being critical enough. By considering only what was being said in the media, I neglected the students’ alternate discourse, that denounced how the Government was threatening public education. Students used Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and even created a radio station (Radio Huelga) to circulate their counter-hegemonic discourse. And their dissident words were heard. The people of Puerto Rico gave them their support despite the negative discourse against them in the media. This, and the resentment of the people with the Government, resulted in the student strike’s success.
The omission of this social fact limited my study. I did not provide a thorough exposure of what happened in that historical moment. In a way, I gave the media’s discourse more power, legitimating it as the only discourse available, when this was not the case.
Therefore, I believe that the very notion of being critical requires a constant re-evaluation of our own work. We need to take into consideration all —or most— aspects of society, all the people involved and the context, to make our discourse analysis more comprehensive and fair with the people that fight everyday towards their emancipation.
References
Kincheloe, Joe L. (2008). “The Foundations of Critical Pedagogy”. Critical Pedagogy Primer 2nd edition. New York, NY: Peter Lang.
Quijano-Seda, Carmín. (2013). Quijano Seda, Carmín. La representación de los estudiantes en la prensa: un análisis macroestructural semántico de las noticias sobre la huelga de la Universidad de Puerto Rico de 2010. Santurce: Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. Master’s thesis.
Van Dijk, Teun. (2015). Critical Discourse Analysis. In Tannen et al. pp. 466-479.
