This book presents post-Marxist theoretical approaches towards social critique and offers discourse analytical tools for critical research. How is a normative critique possible? The author, working at the crossroads of sociological discourse analysis and social philosophy, answers this question and others to show how empirical discourse research can be used to develop normative critique of societies. Divided into three major sections, Herzog introduces the reader to the theoretical approaches to critique, provides tools for normative evaluations of social structures, and finally offers practical examples of theoretical concepts. The book will be of interest to those working in the fields and subfields of discourse analysis, poststructuralism, hegemony theory, cultural political economy and critical theory, with an interdisciplinary orientation.
"Discourse Analysis as Social Critique provides a balancing act that makes a highly valuable contribution to interdisciplinary DS: combining a thorough and convincing theoretical and methodological argument with accessible hands-on examples, this book is equally interesting as a teaching resource for students and scholars looking for a workable critical approach to discourse, as well as an inspiration for more advanced discourse analysts who seek to enrich their own practice of critique." (Veit Schwab, Discourse & Society, Vol. 29 (05), September, 2018)
"The author acknowledges the ambition of the task as 'there is no easy way to perform social critique' (p. 195). The book does not shy from difficulty ... . The tone islively, personal (with the regular use of first and second personal pronouns) and the reader is regularly challenged ... . The reader thus feels involved in the questioning and probing of key texts and methodologies in the search for better and more time-relevantways to be critical." (Christine Penman, Language and Intercultural Communication, Vol. 18 (06), 2018)
"The author acknowledges the ambition of the task as 'there is no easy way to perform social critique' (p. 195). The book does not shy from difficulty ... . The tone islively, personal (with the regular use of first and second personal pronouns) and the reader is regularly challenged ... . The reader thus feels involved in the questioning and probing of key texts and methodologies in the search for better and more time-relevantways to be critical." (Christine Penman, Language and Intercultural Communication, Vol. 18 (06), 2018)