Discourse is language in use within multiple contexts-textual, social,
cultural, and historical. It has to do with the way relationships
get mediated by language and other signs-how authors appeal to their
audiences, texts apprehend the world they purport to describe, and
the human self comes to terms with its many others. The interdisciplinary
field of discourse studies pursues questions about the role of language
in such issues as how individuals form social identities (including
identities based on gender, class, race, ethnicity, occupation,
and geographic region), how stereotypes get perpetuated, how writing influences thought, how rhetorical traditions accommodate change,
how literary cultures account for nature, how stories advance arguments,
and how poems embody diverse voices.
The Discourse Studies Program at Texas A&M University uses the concept of discourse to allow students to explore the interdisciplinary relationships among rhetoric, sociolinguistics, pragmatics, composition, folklore, cultural studies and literary studies. Students in discourse studies take 12 hours (four courses) from the list to the right in addition to departmental requirements, working with their advisors and advisory committees to develop a coherent blend of coursework in rhetoric, linguistics, literature, cultural studies, and theory. Fall Course Offerings |
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Events Faculty Students
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