Investigating hegemony struggles: transdisciplinary considerations on the role of a critical discourse analysis of practical argumentation.

Against the background of enduring crisis dynamics, an increasingly popular (neo-)Gramscian line of interpretation has the merit of shedding light on the ambivalences of the present political scenario as a series of ongoing struggles for hegemony. <italic>Yet how to concretely conceive, structure an...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Critical Discourse Studies Vol. 15; no. 3; pp. 211 - 228
Autor principal: Caterina, Daniela
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd Jun2018
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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Sumario:Against the background of enduring crisis dynamics, an increasingly popular (neo-)Gramscian line of interpretation has the merit of shedding light on the ambivalences of the present political scenario as a series of ongoing struggles for hegemony. <italic>Yet how to concretely conceive, structure and operationalize empirical investigations interested in these struggles without neglecting their complex interplay of discursive and extra-discursive dynamics?</italic> I suggest that cultural political economy (CPE), historical materialist policy analysis (HMPA) and critical discourse analysis (CDA) of practical argumentation can be productively combined into a transdisciplinary research framework to investigate key strategic aspects at play in conflicts over the making and challenging of hegemony. Building on the potential for synergy between CPE and HMPA, I argue that a CDA of practical argumentation can improve their analytical strength in investigating strategies within the broader context of hegemony struggles. Both CPE and HMPA, in fact, <italic>imply</italic> a process of practical reasoning as a key element in their respective approaches to questions of strategy. This implicit concern, I suggest, should be made explicit and a CDA focusing on practical argumentation can be an ideal candidate to strengthen CPE and HMPA in this respect.