The Discourse-Historical Approach

This chapter introduces the Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA). It explains basic characteristics and research interests and sketches the influences of sociolinguistics, pragmatics and text linguistics on the one hand, and of Critical Theory, history, argumentation theory and politolinguistics on the other hand. The chapter covers central features and claims of the DHA and compares them with other discourse-analytical approaches, including approaches to Critical Discourse Studies. It outlines heuristic steps of a research practice designed for this specific approach. Changing discourses on migration and asylum discourses on changing national and supranational identities, discourses on climate change,…