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The Dialectical Relational Approach ( Dra ) For Da Emerged As A Problem Oriented Interdisciplinary Research Approach

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The Dialectical-Relational Approach (DRA) to DA emerged as a problem-oriented interdisciplinary research approach. He attempted to combine the textual and non-textual (e.g. Foucault’s approach) DA approaches; drawing from several older approaches. For text analysis, his approach was based on Systemic Functional Linguistics or Hallidain approach (SFL); sociologically he drew from Gramsci, Althusser, Foucault and Bourdieu. He proposed that there is a dialectical relationship between discourses as meaning-making or semiotic elements of social life, and language is just one of the semiotic modalities, discourse can take (Harvey, 1996). Wodak and Meyer (2009: 163) explain Fairclough’s interest in semiotic elements of social processes, like power, inequality, abuse, and political-economic or cultural change viz-a-viz social events and practices. He presented a three-stage modal (describe, explain, interpret) of CDA, in order to justify how language can; create, maintain and challenge the power relations in society (Janks, 1997, p.329). His effort to extend critical linguistics and inclusion of social processes, in his work; has broadened the scope of DA beyond plain interpretation of text by correlating linguistic analysis to its social context. He has been credited to introduce pragmatics into Critical Linguistics as well.
His contributions to CDA can be classified as (a) theoretical development of CDA to contribute to social research (b) developing approaches for analysis

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