Our study is a collaborative dissertation paper that combines two differentdiscourse analyses, textual and visual, based on a common theoretical background.The introduction guides the reader through the content of the study, at the same timeoffering a brief context of research. The aim of the paper is to address a gap that weidentified in the study of mindfulness, namely a critical approach, from a media andcommunication perspective, of how this concept is represented in social media. Eventhough our research questions are developed separately in the analyses conductedindependently, they can be reduced to three core questions: ‘How is the meaning ofmindfulness constructed on Twitter?’, ‘Are there any power relations in theconstruction of discourse and if they exist, how do they shape the discourse?’, ‘Howdoes the reproduction and circulation of discourse shape its meaning throughintertextuality?’For answering these questions existing research from psychology,sociology and business has been reviewed, with the mention that no relevantmedia and/or communication studies on mindfulness have been found.Therefore, our attempt to open a discussion in the field required a theoreticalframe of analysis. For that we chose Michel Foucault’s discourse theory, addingobservations on relations of power, and Stuart Hall’s theories of representation.The methodologies used for the two analyses are Fairclough’s and Rose’sapproaches of applied discourse analysis. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) andVisual Discourse Analysis (VDA) are two detailed disseminations of qualitativedata, conducted separately. Results show that there is a mainstream discoursethat portrays mindfulness as a positive practice. This type of discourse might beinvested with power, however our conclusions in this sense are restrained by thelimitations of access to Twitter data. High intertextuality and low reliability onthe scientific discourse further suggested in our case that the understandings ofmindfulness are subject to change due to an advanced grade of interpretabilityamong Twitter users.

This research examined the role of communication – and in particular public relations (PR) and public affairs activities – in the decision-making processes around the proposal to build a bypass road around the city of Aberdeen. The study focused on the relative power of various discourses embodied in the arguments and strategies pursued by the promoters and opponents of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Road (AWPR) to affect eventual outcomes. The research sought to revisit theoretical accounts of democratic decision-making as conceptualised by Habermas (1984) in the deliberations of the public sphere, and Foucault (1970) on the role of discourse in structuring civil debates. In his classic study of New Haven, Dahl (2005) found empirical evidence to support a pluralist paradigm. Yet in Flyvbjerg’s (1998a) study of urban planning in Aalborg, Denmark, Lukes’s theories on the second dimension of power and a Foucauldian conceptualistion of power were found to have more acute explanatory power. These major theories have been applied tentatively to the field of public relations by Burkart (2009) who advocates for the utility of a consensus-oriented approach to public relations (COPR). Motion and Leitch (2009) theorise that discourse analysis provides important analytic tools for PR practitioners. This research used the AWPR issue as a case study spanning four key decision-making phases from 2004 to 2012. These stages include representations to the Scottish Parliament; a public local inquiry (PLI); judicial review to the Court of Session in Edinburgh, and a hearing in the UK Supreme Court. The research drew upon triangulated methodologies including Fairclough’s (2012) political discourse analysis; observations at public meetings; and semi-structured interviews The research found that whilst both sides promoted a range of established discourses and PR strategies, the relative power of these discourses and the implementation of the strategies was determining. Political discourse analysis of key texts from the pivotal post PLI phase of the case study provided evidence of the dominance of discourses around economic development and community over weaker environmental discourses. Save Camphill’s campaign was more effective due in large part to the calibre of the professional public relations advice retained. Road Sense used public relations strategies in the early phases of their campaign but the implementation of these activities tended to be tactical, partial or counter-productive. Road Sense focused resources on a legislative strategy which largely eschewed any further attempt to engage with government, community and media stakeholders. The route of judicial review was unsuccessful due to a combination of second dimension power factors, including the reluctance of the UK courts to intervene in planning issues despite the existence of European directives to protect the environment. The AWPR case study concluded that examples of decision-making, as demonstrated by Save Camphill’s success in altering the route, confirm the existence of both the public sphere and pluralism in action. Yet, following Lukes (2005) and Flyvbjerg (1998a), there is equally evidence of a second dimension power variable which yielded more plausible explanatory accounts of the decision-making in favour of the Scheme at the PLI, and subsequently in the Courts. The case study also finds that a Foucauldian interpretation of discourse is required to fully appreciate the weakness of the environmental agenda at the local level especially when pitted against prevailing discourses of economic growth and the popularity of the contemporary car culture. Against this background, Road Sense’s PR strategies were secondary to their ultimate legislative strategy and lacked the requisite consistency on goal alignment and relationship building in lobbying and media relations. For campaigns to be effectual, public relations professionals must audit the power of prevailing discourses as theorised by Motion and Leitch (2009) before Burkart’s consensus-oriented public relations (COPR) approach can realise pluralist outcomes consistent with deliberative democracy.

This thesis has sought to investigate the development of Chinese elite sport policy after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games through examining the evolution of the Chinese Olympic discourses and elite sport policy discourses with emphasis on the power and interests reflected and constructed within and by these discourses. This study adopts a Critical Discourse Analysis approach, (founded on Critical Realist premises). The discourse analysis protocol employed is modified from Fairclough s (2005, 2009) framework, also known as Dialectical-Relational Approach, to examine the constitution and implementation of power at the meso and micro levels of relationships within Chinese elite sport. The analysis is based on archival material and semi-structured interviews. Rather than providing a detailed chronology of the Chinese Olympic movement and of Chinese elite sport, the analysis, divided into two main parts, starts with identifying critical periods as the start line of the analysis and points of division that separate these periods. The analysis of the pre-2008 era starts with the year 1993, in which the first Olympic bid by China failed and the second significant reforming policy of Chinese elite sport was published. This section of the thesis consists of an analytic description of the development of Chinese elite sport policy and the analysis of Chinese Olympic discourse and elite sport discourse before the 2008 Olympics. The post-2008 section contains the analysis of these two discourses after the Beijing Games, and develops case studies of three sports, baseball, diving and table tennis, attempting to unveil the development of Chinese elite sport policy in the post-2008 era. From 1993 to 2012, a consistent feature was the concurrent requirement of both reform and of satisfactory elite sport performance, was maintained in Chinese elite sport policy discourse. The power of discourses in relation to these dual goals has varied across the period, has been influenced by a number of factors, and has been maintained by the dominant group within Chinese society and within Chinese elite sport exercising their power over discourse. The thesis argues that the characterisation of Chinese elite sport and of its development has varied with the change in the power relationship between the two sets of goals, which has significantly influenced the key developments and change in Chinese elite sport policy and its governance system.

The boom in the Chinese advertising industry after its economic reform in 1978 has aroused the scholarly interest of linguistic researchers. However, most studies of advertising discourse tend to consist of pure linguistic analysis focusing on vocabulary, grammar and textual organization. Little attention has been given to other components, such as the visual images of the advertisements, while study at the ideological level is rare. In order to fill this gap, I employed a critical approach to Chinese household appliance advertisements that appeared in the 1980s and 1990s. The theoretical framework for this research was constructed in line with the theories of Fairclough (1994, 2006), Altheide (1996), Wisker (2008), Halliday (2008) Dyer (1993), Williamson (1978, 2005), and so on. Of these theories, the theory of critical discourse analysis as developed by Norman Fairclough has been central throughout the research. The focus of the research is centered on the particular manifestations of the advertisements in magazines entitled Household Appliance rather than broad generalization. To this end, purposive sampling was undertaken and approximately 82 sample advertisements were collected covering three time periods within the general chronological frame of 1981 to 1996 (i.e. 1981-1985, 1986-1990 and 1991-1996). The data analysis has been conducted on the two major components: first, linguistic features with three values (i.e. experiential, relational and expressive values) and intertextuality; second, the visual images concerning the themes of actors, clothing, props and settings. The research findings revealed that the ideological values in the Chinese household appliance advertisements are embedded in the advertising language and illustrations. These ideological elements represent the values of culture, social relations, economy and politics. The findings also revealed that the ideological values were either dynamic or static, but they were intertwined. Meanwhile, the comparative study of the data over the three phases presented a changing trend in ideological values. In addition these could be seen as related to the changing mainstream values in China. The findings of the analysis suggest that ideological values are adopted in the advertisements consciously or unconsciously to attract viewers’ attention and persuade them to purchase products. Meanwhile, the ideological elements have the function of mirroring and transmitting the values of society. My conclusion is that examining advertising discourse ideologically through linguistic and visual components shows how Chinese ideology moved in a pattern from simplicity to diversity (e.g. more ideologies in terms of number and variety), from being politically-oriented to being economic and profit-oriented, from conservation to globalization and westernization (e.g. more relaxed lifestyle, individuality and spiritual freedom) during the period of 1980s and 1990s. The changing pattern reflects the reality of Chinese politics, economy and society at a time when China experienced the growth of the market economy and evolution of Chinese mainstream ideologies and this also indicates the impact of economic reform on the change of ideological meanings in advertisements. It is hoped that my work allows the researcher to discover more profound meanings behind the superficial content of the advertisements.

By using critical discourse analysis this study aims to understand the asylum process in Sweden through the experiences of the denied asylum seekers as they are expressed in their narratives published online. The study also aims to explore how the applicants influence the asylum process and if the applicants perform any resistance. By adopting the power perspective and presenting the denied applicants‟ experiences of the asylum process through the perspective of discipline power, sovereign power and biopower, the study shows that applicants experience positioning which is imposed on them by Swedish Migration Agency. This research supports findings of the previous studies yet it presents the asylum seekers in a contrasting way, namely as acting subjects who resist and negotiate their position during the asylum process. The denied applicants do not just accept the assigned positions, namely the subject who can be denied, be deported and the unwanted subject, rather negotiate them in various ways including attempt to mobilization through the social medias and digital technologies. The study also shows how the family unit is used as a resource in this negotiation both by the applicants and the Migration Agency.

Energy and transportation are topics of great importance to global sustainable development.  Tesla Motor Corporation is an electric vehicle company with the objective to “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy” (Musk, 2016).  This thesis, a media discourse analysis, examines media texts concerning Tesla Motors to provide a better understanding of the company’s hitherto success in penetrating the automotive market.  Qualitative analyses of text were utilized to first define the discourse, then to describe how it has contributed to Tesla’s success.  A combination of word frequency analysis, textual analysis for positive modality, and analysis for principles of branding was utilized as method.  A sample set of 15 texts were analyzed to define the macro discourse, and one interview of Elon Musk analyzed closely to explicate how the textual content contributes to the company’s success. The results of a word frequency analysis suggest that Elon Musk’s personal narrative represents the discourse surrounding Tesla Motors and that it contributes to the company’s success via being imbued with authoritybuilding, trust building, and branding content.

How is a veto justified? Within the discipline of International Relations, discourse analysis is gaining a higher status. However, there is a surprising lacuna in the literature as a discursive approach to the veto in the United Nations Security Council, is yet to be taken. This is unfortunate, given the Security Council’s prominence. The way in which the council members make meaning through their word choice has profound effects for politics in the international system. There is, nonetheless, a growing debate on the functioning of the council, and the veto-power is an important object of contestation. Motivated by current veto-restraining initiatives, this thesis performs a discourse analysis on the 19 cast vetoes between 2005-2016. The actors of relevance are the permanent Security Council members China, Russia, and the US, and the study demonstrates how the concepts of sovereignty, intervention and legitimacy are employed in the discursive construction of the legitimate veto. The thesis further argues that there are patterns and reoccurring themes in the way meaning is created that can be summarized into a contra-discourse —a veto-discourse —contrasting the dominating discourse within the Security Council.

What is ‘legitimacy’? Is legitimation possible through non-linguistic modes? These are the key theoretical questions with which this study is concerned. It explores them in conjunction with an analysis of American political spot advertisements. These ads are situated at the nexus between legitimation and multimodality, and their relevance to contemporary politics on the world stage is reflected in the immense financial and skilled resources which have been — and continue to be — devoted to them. A historical perspective into legitimation, multimodality and the attendant concepts of rationality and irrationality is given, followed by a discussion challenging the assumed rational role accorded to language. So challenged, the discussion moves to looking at the pairing of multimodality and politics; first from a historical viewpoint, and then from a more contemporary one. The role of myth, in the form of the American Dream, is investigated, leading to discussion of political appropriation, branding, tangibility, affordances and the (im)possibility of restricting interpretation. Spot ads are analysed with a specific focus: first on modal salience, and secondly on how the semiotic richness of the concept of nature is exploited for purposes of legitimation.

The aim of this study was to understand how ADHD medication designed as a suitable solution within the prison in terms of treatment. The study had a qualitative disposition and I have used a discourse analysis. My theoretical starting point was extracted from Foucault’s theory about power and knowledge and his discourse concept. The result shows how ADHD portrayed as a factor that is strong linked to crime and various forms of social marginalization. A further result is how the ADHD clients are constructed from untreatable to treatable and how the ADHD medication act as treatment and prevents recidivism. The results show this production of ADHD linked to crime, the ADHD clients as untreatable and the medications as a remarkable treatment method works together to make ADHD medication is a perfect solution to treat criminals and prevent crime.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how female protagonists in video games are portrayed. The material analysed consist of two game series of ten games each, which means a total empirical material of 20 games. The game series chosen for analysis are Metroid with its protagonist Samus Aran and Tomb Raider with Lara Croft as its protagonist. These game franchises were chosen because they have the bestselling video game heroines. The method used for this study has been a critical discourse analysis and the results show both a validated and contradicted result. The theories and the result from the analysis can confirm that female video game characters and especially protagonists are visually portrayed in an objectified sexualised manner. The contradiction is shown in the descriptions of the two female leads where they are both depicted as strong, confident and independent women in their fields of expertise.