From Linguistic to Discursive Patterns: Introducing Discoursemes as a Basic Unit of Discourse Analysis

Heinrich P, Blombach A, Dykes N, Evert S, Fuchs T, Havenstein L, Schäfer F (2025)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2025

Journal

CADAAD Journal. Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis across Disciplines University of Groningen Press

Book Volume: 16

Pages Range: 87-111

Issue: 2

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.21827/cadaad.16.2.42457

Open Access Link: https://doi.org/10.21827/cadaad.16.2.42457

Abstract

Corpus-assisted discourse studies (CADS) combine corpus linguistics and (critical) discourse analysis to explore how language reflects and shapes discourse. CADS researchers derive macro-level social explanations based on micro-level description of texts. Interpretation (the meso level of discourse analysis) is mostly accomplished by deriving discursive patterns from linguistic patterns observed across many texts. CADS blends close reading (examining individual examples in concordances) and distant reading (looking at results of keyword and collocation analyses). While effective, we argue that CADS lacks a true integration of qualitative and quantitative techniques, which results in a unidirectional workflow where qualitative-hermeneutic interpretation is detached from quantitative analysis. To bridge this gap, we propose operationalising the grouping of linguistic surface realisations in terms of discoursemes – building blocks for discourse analysis. Discursive patterns can then be approximated by co-occurrences of discoursemes. We demonstrate the usefulness of our approach by means of a case study analysing the discourse related to refugees in the German federal parliament during two salient moments in Germany’s history. The case study is carried out using a new open-source software toolkit that facilitates the construction of a consistent database of discoursemes and overcomes some of the technical limitations faced by most CADS studies.

Authors with CRIS profile

Philipp Heinrich Lehrstuhl für Korpus- und Computerlinguistik Andreas Blombach Department Digital Humanities and Social Studies Nathan Dykes Professur für Digital Humanities mit Schwerpunkt Computing Text and Language Stephanie Evert Lehrstuhl für Korpus- und Computerlinguistik Tamara Fuchs Lehrstuhl für Japanologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Japan der Moderne und Gegenwart Linda Havenstein Lehrstuhl für Japanologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Japan der Moderne und Gegenwart Fabian Schäfer Lehrstuhl für Japanologie mit dem Schwerpunkt Japan der Moderne und Gegenwart

How to cite

APA:

Heinrich, P., Blombach, A., Dykes, N., Evert, S., Fuchs, T., Havenstein, L., & Schäfer, F. (2024). From Linguistic to Discursive Patterns: Introducing Discoursemes as a Basic Unit of Discourse Analysis. CADAAD Journal. Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis across Disciplines, 16(2), 87-111. https://doi.org/10.21827/cadaad.16.2.42457

MLA:

Heinrich, Philipp, et al. "From Linguistic to Discursive Patterns: Introducing Discoursemes as a Basic Unit of Discourse Analysis." CADAAD Journal. Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis across Disciplines 16.2 (2024): 87-111.

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