Explanation, interpretation and critique in the analysis of discourse

The first half of this article offers an assessment of critical discourse a nalysis, as developed since the 1980s and understood at the time in terms o f a much-needed departure from predominantly descriptive modes of linguisti c enquiry, which prevented an adequate thematization of power, inequality a nd ideology. In this review I draw attention to some enduring tensions in t he model's aspirations between (1) being an interpretative mode of enquiry which inevitably adopts a discourse participant's point of view, (2) offeri ng social-theoretically informed explanations of discourse which overcome l imitations inherent in a participant's outlook and (3) formulating an inter ventionist programme of emancipation which prioritizes dialogue with instit utional members. With an eye to relieving some of these tensions, I explore , in the second half of my article, what might bu gained from a dialogic co nfrontation with reflexive research traditions within linguistic anthropolo gy. In particular, recent work on the 'natural historics of discourse' take s the situatedness of entextualizations of discourse-in-context as one of i ts main forces of enquiry.