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    Rights statement: The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Critical Discourse Studies, 9 (3), 2012, © Informa Plc

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‘I just couldn't do it’: representations of constraint in an oral history corpus

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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‘I just couldn't do it’: representations of constraint in an oral history corpus. / Sealey, Alison.
In: Critical Discourse Studies, Vol. 9, No. 3, 01.08.2012, p. 195-210.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Sealey, A 2012, '‘I just couldn't do it’: representations of constraint in an oral history corpus', Critical Discourse Studies, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 195-210. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405904.2012.688295

APA

Sealey, A. (2012). ‘I just couldn't do it’: representations of constraint in an oral history corpus. Critical Discourse Studies, 9(3), 195-210. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405904.2012.688295

Vancouver

Sealey A. ‘I just couldn't do it’: representations of constraint in an oral history corpus. Critical Discourse Studies. 2012 Aug 1;9(3):195-210. doi: 10.1080/17405904.2012.688295

Author

Sealey, Alison. / ‘I just couldn't do it’ : representations of constraint in an oral history corpus. In: Critical Discourse Studies. 2012 ; Vol. 9, No. 3. pp. 195-210.

Bibtex

@article{c8bdf6156d414c59b66fdbc511465353,
title = "{\textquoteleft}I just couldn't do it{\textquoteright}: representations of constraint in an oral history corpus",
abstract = "Corpus linguistic techniques are increasingly being used by discourse analysts whose interest is in the {\textquoteleft}critical{\textquoteright} issues of inequality and the representation of disadvantaged groups. This paper reports an extension of these approaches, where concordancing was used to analyse a corpus of 144 transcribed oral history interviews in order to explore the issue of constraint on the speakers{\textquoteright} goals and experiences. The analysis is of the expression I couldn't, which is contextualised with reference to research on negation and modality in authentic discourse contexts. This paper explores the ways in which I couldn't is deployed to refer to constraints of three main kinds: physical (pertaining to the body and material objects), structural (pertaining to the distribution of resources) and cultural (pertaining to social norms and expectations). The approach illustrates the advantage of maintaining an analytical distinction between the discursive and the material, so as to explore the interplay between them.",
keywords = "critical discourse analysis, oral history, realism, corpus analysis",
author = "Alison Sealey",
note = "The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Critical Discourse Studies, 9 (3), 2012, {\textcopyright} Informa Plc",
year = "2012",
month = aug,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1080/17405904.2012.688295",
language = "English",
volume = "9",
pages = "195--210",
journal = "Critical Discourse Studies",
issn = "1740-5904",
publisher = "Routledge",
number = "3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - ‘I just couldn't do it’

T2 - representations of constraint in an oral history corpus

AU - Sealey, Alison

N1 - The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Critical Discourse Studies, 9 (3), 2012, © Informa Plc

PY - 2012/8/1

Y1 - 2012/8/1

N2 - Corpus linguistic techniques are increasingly being used by discourse analysts whose interest is in the ‘critical’ issues of inequality and the representation of disadvantaged groups. This paper reports an extension of these approaches, where concordancing was used to analyse a corpus of 144 transcribed oral history interviews in order to explore the issue of constraint on the speakers’ goals and experiences. The analysis is of the expression I couldn't, which is contextualised with reference to research on negation and modality in authentic discourse contexts. This paper explores the ways in which I couldn't is deployed to refer to constraints of three main kinds: physical (pertaining to the body and material objects), structural (pertaining to the distribution of resources) and cultural (pertaining to social norms and expectations). The approach illustrates the advantage of maintaining an analytical distinction between the discursive and the material, so as to explore the interplay between them.

AB - Corpus linguistic techniques are increasingly being used by discourse analysts whose interest is in the ‘critical’ issues of inequality and the representation of disadvantaged groups. This paper reports an extension of these approaches, where concordancing was used to analyse a corpus of 144 transcribed oral history interviews in order to explore the issue of constraint on the speakers’ goals and experiences. The analysis is of the expression I couldn't, which is contextualised with reference to research on negation and modality in authentic discourse contexts. This paper explores the ways in which I couldn't is deployed to refer to constraints of three main kinds: physical (pertaining to the body and material objects), structural (pertaining to the distribution of resources) and cultural (pertaining to social norms and expectations). The approach illustrates the advantage of maintaining an analytical distinction between the discursive and the material, so as to explore the interplay between them.

KW - critical discourse analysis

KW - oral history

KW - realism

KW - corpus analysis

U2 - 10.1080/17405904.2012.688295

DO - 10.1080/17405904.2012.688295

M3 - Journal article

VL - 9

SP - 195

EP - 210

JO - Critical Discourse Studies

JF - Critical Discourse Studies

SN - 1740-5904

IS - 3

ER -