Within the multitude of approaches in the field of discourse studies, the question of how ideology, power and authority operate in and through discourse(s) takes a special place. Whether it is the study of how power is (re)produced in micro-practices and interactions, the analysis of inequality and dominance in macro-structures, or the investigation of the functioning of ideology in texts, spoken communication, gestures or pictures - these topics have been an integral part of many research traditions on the intersection of language and society.

The DiscourseNet Winter School brings together advanced BA and MA as well as PhD students who want to pursue research on questions revolving around Discourse, Ideology and Political Economy and to discuss the methodological and theoretical challenges of their thesis projects or first ideas. Its aim is to bring young and established discourse researchers together to address practical challenges in discourse research. The event will provide a collaborative exchange and hands-on research experience in a rather informal workshop setting. Introductory workshops on the three main fields will be given by more experienced scholars (Discourse: Johannes Angermuller, Ideology: Benno Herzog and Johannes Beetz, Political Economy: Jens Maesse and Amelie Kutter).

Our keynote speaker Prof Bob Jessop from Lancaster University will provide a lecture on
‘Antonio Gramsci as a Cultural Political Economist’

Participants from the disciplines and fields of linguistics, sociology, political sciences, literary and cultural studies, media and communication, education, geography and related areas in the social sciences and humanities are all invited.
Applicants are expected to send in proposals which include a short letter of motivation, an abstract with one’s project (no more than one page) as well as an academic CV. The abstract will consist of a title and a description of the proposed research project which can deal with academic, educational, intellectual or other discourses and/or methodological questions in discourse research.
Proposals should be sent in by the 20th of September 2016. In case of acceptance, each participant will be asked to send in a 10-page version of the research project by December 15th 2015. These longer texts should delineate the research object, lay out the research questions, situate the project in the field, and reflect on the preferred methods. These versions will be circulated among the participants prior to the event and will be used by the commentators. Each participant will get two comments on their paper by two experts. During the Winter School, the students will not present their entire papers but elaborate on specific points, practical problems and methodological challenges of their projects. If they wish, the participants can stay the weekend after and join in the social activities with the organisers in the Valencia region.

The DiscourseNet Winter School is free of charge but a small contribution for coffee etc. may be requested. There are places for up to 20 participants. Low cost accommodation will be available upon request. The working language is English.

The Winter School is a Giessen-Warwick-Paris-Valencia event, organised by members of the DIPE (Discourse, Ideology, and Political Economy) research group within DiscourseNet. DiscourseNet is an interdisciplinary and international network of discourse researchers existing since 2007. The Winter School is supported by the University of Giessen, the University of Valencia, and the ERC-funded DISCONEX project at the University of Warwick and the EHESS Paris.

To apply for the Winter School and for any inquiries or questions, please contact: valenciawinterschool@discourseanalysis.net

Organizers:
Johannes Beetz (University of Warwick)
Benno Herzog (University of Valencia)
Jens Maesse (University of Giessen)