Using keywords analysis in CDA: evolving discourses of the knowledge economy in education

Abstract

This chapter explores changes in educational discourse in the United Kingdom during three decades of crisis and radical change in British capitalism. 1 Combining critical discourse analysis with corpus linguistic tools, it examines a corpus of seventeen White Papers spanning five Prime Ministers from Edward Heath to Tony Blair who, between them, led four alternating periods of Conservative and Labour rule. By linking social theory with corpus linguistic 'keywords' tools, the analysis identifies three successive educational policy concerns: a technocratic focus on educational outputs under Thatcher's neo-liberal government; a visionary discourse of competitiveness under Major's caretaker government; and a strategic policy aimed at building an internationally competitive, skills-based, economy under Blair's New Labour Government. As well as discussing the implications of these textual findings for education's role in economic policy, the chapter notes the contribution of this methodology to a systematic interdisciplinary investigation of public discourse.The dominant view that underpins recent social and economic strategies in advanced capitalist economies is that we now live in the 'age of human capital'in which the wealth of nations and success of individuals depend upon the 'imagination, creativity, skills and talents of all our people' (Department for Education and Skills, 2003: 2). At the heart of the post-industrial economy is the 'knowledge worker' because growth now depends increasingly on the production and application of knowledge (Bell, 1973;Castells, 1998). This shift in primacy from physical to intellectual labour is linked to an increase in the perceived importance of education: 'not only is education seen to hold the key to a competitive economy but it is also seen to be the foundation of social justice and social cohesion' (Brown and Lauder, 2006). In effect, investment in learning is now seen as a key political mechanism for achieving economic growth and social cohesion. This growing stress on 'productive social policy' is especially clear in joint policy strategies developed at the European level, where Europe's economic competitiveness is closely tied to a (lifelong) learning and entrepreneurial vision of citizenship (Dale and Robertson, 2006). In particular, the Lisbon Agenda (2000) set a clear ambition for the European Union to become, by 2010, 'the most dynamic, competitive, knowledge-based economy in the world, with sustainable growth, more and better jobs and greater social cohesion'. Importantly, this is an economic vision played out on a global scale with the aim of defending Europe's

Manufacturing Consent: A corpus‐based critical discourse analysis of New Labour's educational governance

“…Therefore the government's social identity was one of the main points of inquiry in the linguistic analysis, the findings of which were then interpreted in relation to a sociologically informed understanding of the historical context. In this sense the primary focus was on how the government represents and legitimates its own ‘acts of governing’ (Mulderrig, forthcoming a), as well as how it represents education (including its functions) (Mulderrig, 2007; 2008) and its actors (Mulderrig, 2003b; 2007).…”

“…Its incorporation in CDA has been a relatively recent development (e.g. Koller & Mautner, 2004; Mautner, 2005; 2009; applied to educational research: Mulderrig, 2003a; 2003b; 2008; forthcoming a; forthcoming b). The choice to combine them in this study was motivated partly by a wish to develop a systematic and thus replicable form of critical discourse analysis.…”

“…There is also a heuristic value to this combined approach in directing the analyst's gaze in unexpected and often fruitful directions. For example, I have elsewhere used ‘keywords’ 3 analysis to investigate the historical rise and fall of the most prominent political discourses in relation to UK education (Mulderrig, 2008).…”

“…Under Thatcher this is mainly used to remove powers from the Local Education Authorities, in an important move that prepared the ground for a more deregulated and market‐based state education system. Under Major this ‘hollowing out’ of power from LEAs continues, alongside the use of managing actions to allow the government to oversee a wide range of actors and activities in securing greater economic competitiveness (see also Mulderrig, 2008 on the discourse of competitiveness under Major). Thus, the government will: 1) require LEAs to increase delegation to their schools; 2) expect LEAs to continue to make appropriate provision for such pupils; 3) encourage higher education institutions to make available information about the employment of new graduates, by subject, including if practicable details of average starting salary .…”

“…2 2 For a fuller account of the political economic context of this study, see Mulderrig, 2007; 2008. …”