ABSTRACT
Theconceptualmeaningofdiscoursevariesgreatlywithinthe socialsciences,eachmeaningbeinglocatedindifferenttheoreticalproblematics.Attimesitisusedtodiscussthedynamics andanalysisofspeechsituations(Gumperz1982).Ontheother handitisusedtorelatespeechtosubjectivity(Benveniste1974). Itisalsousedwithinaconflictepistemologytorefertotheideologicalnatureoflanguage(Pecheux1975).Otherswoulddeny anyepistemologicalreferentandclaimthatthereisnoknowledge outsideofdiscourse(Achard,GruenaisandJaulin1984).Whileit isnotmyintentiontorefertotheoreticalissuesinthischapter, suchanappraisalhavingbeenundertakenelsewhere(Achard, MS),itisnecessarybrieflytoconsidertherelationshipbetween theoryandmethod.
