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Research Focus
Sociocultural linguistics (i.e. linguistic anthropology, sociolinguistics, socially oriented discourse analysis) with a focus on language and politics, language in the media, language and identity, political economy of language and power, and critical discourse analysis.
I apply a critical approach to the study of language in social life. Underlying much of my research is a desire to unravel what is frequently termed the 'micro/macro problem' within sociocultural linguistics: how discursive interaction connects to larger social structures and cultural understandings. Of particular interest are the way identities are discursively constructed and the way popular discourses (e.g. the 'war on terror' discourse) are produced, circulated, and subverted in media and political interactions. My research incorporates ideas on intertextuality to probe these concerns.
Related fields of interest: Media studies; Communication studies; Cultural studies; Cultural anthropology