Language is more than a tool for communication—it is a powerful force that shapes how knowledge is produced and understood. Studying Language, Producing Knowledge offers a clear and comprehensive introduction to discourse studies, demonstrating how language operates as social action. Anne Mäntynen and Sari Pietikäinen trace the evolution of the field, combining classic theories with contemporary approaches to show how discourse constructs meaning, identities, and social realities.
Through an engaging blend of conceptual explanation and practical guidance, this textbook guides readers step by step through the process of analyzing discourse in real-world contexts. Each chapter provides key concepts, discussion points, and examples that help students move confidently from theory to research practice. Throughout the text, the authors highlight how discourse interacts with power, ideology, and change, and how the study of language can reveal the dynamics of knowledge production in today’s complex social world.
Studying Language, Producing Knowledge is written for undergraduate and postgraduate students across language, communication, and cultural studies, as well as sociology and anthropology. It is ideal for courses on discourse analysis, language and society, or qualitative research methods, and serves as an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand how language shapes the ways we know and act.
By:
Anne Mäntynen ,
Sari Pietikäinen
Imprint: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 254mm,
Width: 178mm,
ISBN: 9781119860310
ISBN 10: 1119860318
Series: Linguistics in the World
Pages: 192
Publication Date: 30 April 2026
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Acknowledgments Part I. What is discourse studies? 1 Language as social action 1.0 Chapter overview 1.1 Language and society 1.2 Language as a resource Key concepts in this chapter Takeaways Discussion points References 2 The dynamic concept of discourse 2.0 Chapter overview 2.1 What is discourse? 2.2 Discourse: entanglements between language and society Key concepts in this chapter Takeaways Discussion points References 3 Discourse in contexts 3.0 Chapter overview 3.1 Context matters 3.2 Connecting contexts 3.3 Situational context 3.4 Discourse practices 3.5 Multiplicity of contexts Key concepts in this chapter Takeaways Discussion points References 4 Frameworks for examining discourse 4.0 Chapter overview 4.1 Frameworks for analysing discourse dimensions, processes and connections 4.2 Three-dimensional discourse: Norman Fairclough 4.3 Nexus analysis 4.4. Critical assemblage analysis 4.5 Concepts as thinking tools Key concepts in this chapter Takeaways Discussion points References Part II. Key concepts for analysing discourse 5 Discourse, power, knowledge 5.0 Chapter overview 5.1 Discourse and knowledge production 5.2 Discursive struggles: a moment of competing discourses 5.3 Intertwined knowledges 5.4 Categorisation as a revaluing resource Key concepts in this chapter Takeaways Discussion points References 6 Genre 6.0 Chapter overview 6.1 Genre matters 6.2 Functional genre 6.3 The power of the genre 6.4 Genre frameworks 6.5 Genre norms 6.6 Genre as an organizing power Key concepts in this chapter Takeaways Discussion points References 7 Regulating discourse 7.0 Chapter overview 7.1 Centripetal and centrifugal forces 7.2 Discourse norms 7.3 Discourse regulation 7.4 Discourse regimes 7.5 AI as a regulating writing machine Key concepts in this chapter Takeaways Discussion points References 8 Discourse dynamics 8.0 Chapter overview 8.1 Intertextuality 8.2 Genre hybridity 8.3 Re/Deterritorialisation Key concepts in this chapter Takeaways Discussion points References 9 The power of language ideologies 9.0 Chapter overview 9.1 Language ideological debates: a discourse studies approach 9.2 Language ideologies as the service of nation-building 9.3 Multilingualism and language ideologies 9.4 Indexicality and language ideological processes Key concepts in this chapter Takeaways Discussion points References Part III. A practical guide to discourse analysis 10 Research process in discourse studies 10.0 Chapter overview 10.1 Qualitative researching 10.2 Designing discourse research 10.3 Get started with your discourse research Doing discourse analysis: 20 practical steps 11 Getting started with your research project 11.0 Chapter overview 11.1 Choosing a topic 11.2 Research questions as research strategy 11.3 Thinking tools: theories and concepts 11.4 Concepts at work 11.5 Finding your data 11.6 Selecting your data 11.7 Managing your data 12 Methods for meaning: Doing Discourse Analysis 12.0 Chapter overview 12.1 Methods in discourse studies 12.2 Analytical process 12.3 Making your argument 13 Doing discourse analysis 13.0 Chapter overview 13.1 Stage 1: Getting started Step1 Analysis is a process Step 2 Analysis requires theoretical understanding Step 3 Analysis requires a selective gaze Step 4 Researcher constructs the data 13.2 Stage 2: Doing analysis and making connections Step 5 Analysis means making choices Step 6 Analysis involves systematic organisation of observations Step 7 Analysis needs conceptualisation or abstraction Step 8 Analysis is making connections 13.3 Stage 3: Producing new knowledge Step 9 Analysis is argumentation and writing Step 10 Analysis is participating in a discussion Bibliography Index
ANNE MÄNTYNEN is Professor of Non-Fiction at the University of Helsinki. A leading scholar in discourse and genre studies, she examines how language ideologies and genres shape social practices and writing cultures. She served as Editor of Virittäjä. SARI PIETIKÄINEN is Professor of Discourse Studies at the University of Jyväskylä and Research Fellow at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. Her research explores the entanglements between discourse, power, and ecology in the Arctic, using critical assemblage analysis.
