1. Exploring Power Related Discourses
Power and Authority
Exploring Power Related Discourses

2. Discourse
Discourse is the language used to discuss an area of knowledge or subject
Within a culture, human knowledge is collected and structured into discourses
They are distinctive ways of seeing the world and representing it
Different groups within society have their own discourses, which reflect the ideology or cultural values and beliefs of its members

3. Cultural Identity
The cultural identity of a composer is the product of cultural assumptions – his or her world view or ideology – the way he or her sees the world, how they think it should be and the way they see their own place in it

4. Context
The personal, social, historical, cultural and workplace circumstances at the time the text is produced and received
The context of a text influences:
The issues raised
Social purpose
Events and characters
Form, medium, publication point and audience
The language used to signify meaning
Ideas values and beliefs the RESPONDER bring to the text
RESPONDER’S world view and experiences

5. Positioning the Responder
Using language and structuring ideas and values and presenting them in a form and medium to an audience for a particular social purpose
Composers use language to position readers to accept their views expressed in the text

6. Foregrounding
To use language in such a way that it attracts attention to certain ideas
Used to place certain values and beliefs in a privileged position in text

7. Gaps and Silences
Gaps are places where the composer relies on the commonsense assumptions of the reader to make sense of a text
Texts often contain silences which are used when the writer wants to control the responders’ thinking and acting by not encouraging them to question certain cultural values

8. The Analytical Essay
Analytical essays require the writer to examine their response to, and thoughts about, the reading they have done.
To compose an analysis, the writer collects the information that is central to the argument – in this case how people obtain, reject and struggle with power - and interprets the strengths and weaknesses of all sides in question.
An analytical essay focuses primarily on the writer's use of evidence and assumptions to support their claim or argument (thesis)

9. Texts for consideration
Tomorrow When the War Began
The development of power in a positive manner
How do people respond to difficult situations by using power/authority
The author’s use of powerful language to create an atmosphere of fear

10. Cont… Political Speeches McCarthy Bush Hitler Stalin
How do these men use speech as a tool to maintain power?
Use of fear to gain power and authority

11. Cont… Film – Goodnight and Good Luck
How film makers portray the use of power
How do people struggle with power?

12. The purpose of your analytical essay.
To show how context shapes the meaning of text
To consider how different text makers want to position the author to accept/reject their idea of power
How power and authority is used in text to position the reader in a certain manner
Need to consider how power is gained and controlled through the various texts:
Fear
Respect
Leadership
Propaganda
War
What affect does power have on people