A methodological approach to the concept of social inequality in critical discourse analysis

Abstract

This paper outlines a methodological approach based on a combination of lexico-grammatical and discourse semantics strata in order to deal with the analysis of the concept of social inequality. Martin's (1992) statements concerning the relevance of participants on a three-dimensional scale offer the parameters for the examination of social inequality. However, an exploration of Martin's ideas reveals how his discourse semantics paradigms still remain mainly lexico-grammatical and how the intended correspondence between these discourse systems and Halliday's (1994) metafunctions on a lexico-grammatical level has to be questioned. As this methodological proposal illustrates, establishing connections between theoretical statements and methods of analysis may represent a valuable resource to rediscover systemic grammar in terms of its close links with critical discourse analysis and to pose the question as to whether or not we are taking full advantage of what systemicists suggest.