ABSTRACT
The primary tools of inquiry we will discuss in this chapter are “form-function correlations,” “situated meanings,” and “figured worlds.” Form-function correlations deal with the general range of meanings that grammatical units (e.g., noun phrases, subjects of sentences, subordinate clauses) can have. Situated meanings deal with the highly specific meanings words and phrases take on in actual contexts of use. Figured worlds are (often unconscious) theories and stories that we humans use to understand and deal with the world. I will also discuss the nature of “critical discourse analysis” in this chapter.
