Monday, August 5, 2019

Call for Papers - Discourse Analysis in Asia 2020




Call for Papers

Event: Discourse Analysis 1st Asian Conference (DAAC-1)
Title: Hegemonies, Identities, and Interaction in Asia: Examining the place of DA in the public sphere in Asia.
Venue: Kobe International University, Japan
Dates: March 7-8, 2020
Early Deadline is October 30, 2019
Final Deadline is November 30, 2019

CONCEPT
Kobe International University (KIU), in co-operation with Discourse Analysis.net (DN), invites submissions of presentation proposals for the Challenging Hegemonies in Asia: Examining the place of DA in the public sphere in Asia, and differences with European DS, to be held on the KIU campus in Kobe, Japan on March 7-8, 2020.

In recent years, Discourse Studies (DS) has developed into a global scholarly practice. In Asia, Discourse Analysis (DA) has crept into Second Language Education, business research, as well as political studies. In Europe, Discourse Analysis Net (DN) has been a central platform for supporting DS. Through this conference, KIU and DN hope to build a bridge between European and Asian DS researchers.

To facilitate this meeting of worlds, we ask several questions:

Which DS approaches are more popular in Asia - CA, DA, CDA, or others?
Which DS founders are most read in Asia?
How is DS methodology applied in Asia, and how is DA practiced there?
What are the new developments in DS and DA techniques made by researchers in Asia?
How are the political stakes of doing DA different in Asia from those in Europe?
How is Asian media discourse treated in DS?
What role does DS have in social change in Asia?

To answer these questions and pose new ones, we welcome researchers from any discipline who use DA to examine local, global, or glocal discourses, regional hegemonies of thought and politics, expressions of identity, and situated examples of interaction.

Additionally, we also welcome criticism of DS as a eurocentric, western practice that has been marshalled in the name of western 'universal values' of democracy, and focused through this prism on the use of language for power, identity, and interaction. From the foundational  genealogies and archaeologies of Michel Foucault, to the critical Discourse Analysis (DA) of PĂȘcheux, to Sinclair-Coulthard style Conversation Analysis (CA), to Norman Fairclough's conception of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), Europe has been the center of theoretical innovation, methodological development, and critical activity in DS. We hope to problematize this history with DAAC-1.  

DAAC-1 welcomes researchers from any discipline, and encourages presentations in Japanese or English. We look to create a communal space for DS in Asia, linking scholars here to each other, and ultimately to the world through Discourse Analysis Net.

In future, we hope to have more conferences in other Asian cities to hear the different voices of DS in the Asia-Pacific region.

SUBMISSIONS
We welcome 20 minute talks with a discursive approach to how language and power are conceived or operationalized in Asia. Presentations might touch on doing DS in Asia, specifically theoretical or methodological developments, as well as techniques and practice. Presentations on common themes such as governance, public administration, political communication strategies, the political content of popular entertainment, recent economic developments, as well as foreign policy in the Asia are also welcome. Presentations should be in English or Japanese.

Presentations will be organized into a digital conference proceedings.

SUBMISSIONS
Send submissions of 300-500 words to DAAC1AsiaDA@gmail.com
Early Deadline is October 30, 2019
Final Deadline is November 30, 2019
Registration is 2000 yen, or 500 for students
Official Blog: https://discourseanalysisasia2020.blogspot.com

CONTACT
Theodore Bonnah, Associate professor
Kobe International University, School of Economics
bana@kobe-kiu.ac.jp
9-1-6 Koyocho-naka, Higashinada-ku,Kobe, Hyogo 658-0032 Japan Tel : +81-78 -845-3456. 

Kobe International University website
https://www.kobe-kiu.ac.jp/en/
DiscourseNet website
https://discourseanalysis.net/en/about

Sunday, August 4, 2019

Welcome to the Discourse Analysis in Asia 2020 Conference Blog

Hello and welcome!

My name is Theodore Bonnah, professor of Intercultural Communication at Kobe International University. At this time, it is my great pleasure to invite you to share your passion for Discourse Analysis with likeminded researchers here in Japan at the Discourse Analysis in Asia 1st Conference (DAAC-1).

Me in my office overlong Kobe Bay

Kobe International University (KIU) is a small university built on the southern tip of the artificial tip of Rokko Island in Kobe. I feel that its mix of nature and artificial setting, and the beauty this juxtaposition creates, makes it the perfect setting for a conference about how discourse shapes our world.


Behind Kobe International University


KIU is a small institution but with a grand tradition of people helping people to take on large endeavours, from sending Japanese young people to learn around the world, to welcoming in foreign students (30% of its students are from other countries), and teaching a commitment to social justice and helping one's fellow humans. KIU has graciously offered us its facilities and beautiful scenery for DAAC-1.

In 2016, I completed my PhD in Global Society Studies at Doshisha University in Kyoto. My PhD thesis was on Neoliberal Discourse in US economic media during the financial crisis, but since then I have analyzed discourse in education (using CA for reflective pedagogy), marketing discourse in the Sanrio yurukyara Gudetama, as well as political discourse in Japanese blogposts critical of the government. I hope to see a wide array of work at DAAC-1 and broaden my horizons even more.

Unfortunately, living in Japan, I have not found a large number of scholars doing similar work to mine, so I have gone far afield in search of Discourse Studies specialists. In 2018, I participated in the DiscourseAnalysis.net (DN) event in Giessen, Germany, and was inspired by my warm welcome there to start a small event here in Japan to test the waters and make connections. DN has cooperated in the formation of DAAC-1, advising me and my small group of collaborators on our first event. We have done our best, but if there are any mistakes, the fault is ours.

So please look at the CfP on this blog, send your submissions, and come share your work and insights in Kobe! We hope that DAAC-1 is the start of a more connected Discourse Studies movement in Asia, one that reflects the passion, insight, and intelligence of researchers in the region, and connects these to fellows worldwide.

See you in Kobe!

Theodore Bonnah
Associate professor
Dept. of Economics
Kobe International University
bana@kobe-kiu.ac.jp