The Discourse of Globalization - Shifts in the discursive Representation of Economic Globalization in the United States - Two Examples

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Discourse: Theoretical and methodological perspectives

2.1 What is Discourse?

2.1.1 General Usage

2.1.2 Structural Linguistics

2.1.3 Habermas’ Normative Approach to Discourse

2.1.4 Michel Foucault’s Discourse Theory

2.1.4 Post-Marxist Perspectives on Discourse

2.2 Methodological Perspectives

2.2.1 Historical Semantics

2.2.2 Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)

2.3 Methodological Framework

3. The Discursive Framework

3.1 Discursive Framework I: Economic Data

3.1.1 Global Economic Trends

3.1.2 The United States and the Global Economy

3.2 Discursive Framework II: The Globalization Debate

3.2.1 The Globalist Perspective

3.2.2 The Sceptic Perspective

3.2.3 The Transformationalist Perspective

3.3 Summary

4. Analysis

4.1 Discursive Events

4.1.1 The Foundation of the WTO

4.1.2 The “Battle of Seattle”

4.1.3 The Terrorist Attacks on the World Trade Center

4.2 The Corpus

4.3 General Overview

4.3.1 Step I: General Word Count

4.3.2 Step II: Word Count Regarding Discursive Events

4.3.3 Step III: Connotations of the Term “Globalization”

4.4 Textual Analysis

4.4.1 Selection of Sample Texts

4.4.2 Text Analysis and Interpretation

4.5 Summary

5. Conclusion

6. Bibliography

Research Objectives and Thematic Focus

This study aims to develop a trans-disciplinary approach to understand how language shapes the representation of economic globalization. It specifically investigates the relationship between language, power, and the discursive construction of economic globalization, focusing on how these representations have evolved over time within the United States discourse.

• The relationship between discourse and the social construction of reality.
• The role of discursive events (e.g., WTO formation, the Battle of Seattle, 9/11) in shaping public perception.
• A comparative analysis of economic discourse in The Economist and Business Week.
• Application of post-structuralist and critical discourse analysis frameworks to economic topics.
• The interplay between global economic trends and the political/cultural debates surrounding globalization.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

1. Introduction: Outlines the rise of globalization as a central academic and public debate and defines the study’s focus on the discursive representation of economic globalization in the United States.

2. Discourse: Theoretical and methodological perspectives: Reviews key theoretical foundations of discourse analysis, including the work of Foucault, Habermas, and post-Marxist thinkers, while establishing the methodological tools for the study.

3. The Discursive Framework: Provides the socio-economic context and academic debates regarding globalization, serving as a point of reference for the subsequent empirical analysis.

4. Analysis: Presents the core research, examining how specific discursive events influenced the representation of globalization in the selected business journals.

5. Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, confirming how discursive events trigger shifts in meaning and how institutional perspectives influence the portrayal of globalization.

6. Bibliography: Lists the academic sources and data materials used throughout the research.

Keywords

Globalization, Economic Globalization, Discourse Analysis, Critical Discourse Analysis, Michel Foucault, Norman Fairclough, Power Relations, Discursive Events, The Economist, Business Week, United States, Neoliberalism, Social Construction, Epistemology, Hegemony.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core subject of this research?

The work examines the discursive construction of economic globalization, focusing specifically on how the term and concept have been represented in the United States over time.

What are the primary thematic areas?

The study covers the intersection of global economic trends, political responses to globalization, and the role of the media in shaping public perceptions of international economic integration.

What is the central research question?

The study asks how the discursive representation of economic globalization has changed over time in the United States and what role social events play in these changes.

Which methodology is employed?

The author uses a critical discourse analytical framework, combining Foucault’s concept of power and knowledge with Siegfried Jäger’s and Norman Fairclough’s approaches to analyze textual samples.

What is the focus of the main body?

The main part of the book analyzes the impact of specific events—the foundation of the WTO, the “Battle of Seattle,” and the 9/11 terrorist attacks—on the globalization discourse in The Economist and Business Week.

Which keywords define this work?

Key terms include globalization, discourse analysis, power relations, media coverage, and ideological construction.

Why were The Economist and Business Week selected?

These journals were chosen because they represent the business segment of media, they are electronically accessible for large-scale analysis, and they offer different editorial perspectives on economic issues.

How does the author view the relationship between discourse and reality?

The author adopts a post-positivist perspective, arguing that reality is not an objective "truth" out there, but is constructed and constituted through discourse and language.

What does the term "discursive event" imply in this context?

Discursive events are defined as social events that, once made public, become focal points for intense debate and trigger shifts in the underlying threads of discourse.

Did the author find that 9/11 changed the globalization discourse?

Yes, the author notes that the 9/11 attacks shifted the discourse from purely economic issues to include security-related connotations, often reinforcing a "us vs. them" dichotomy.