A critical discourse analysis of michelle obama’s speech on international women’ s day 2016

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES - - NGUYỄN THANH NGA A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF MICHELLE OBAMA’S SPEECH ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2016 (Phân tích diễn ngơn phê phán diễn văn Michelle Obama vào ngày Quốc tế Phụ nữ năm 2016) M.A THESIS PROGRAMME I Field : English Linguistics Code : 8220201.01 Hanoi - 2019 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES - - NGUYỄN THANH NGA A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF MICHELLE OBAMA’S SPEECH ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2016 (Phân tích diễn ngơn phê phán diễn văn Michelle Obama vào ngày Quốc tế Phụ nữ năm 2016) M.A THESIS PROGRAMME I Field : English Linguistics Code : 8220201.01 Supervisor : Prof NGUYỄN HÒA Hanoi - 2019 DECLARATION I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled “A critical discourse analysis of Michelle Obama’s speech on International Women’ s Day 2016”submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master in English Linguistics Except where the reference is indicated, no other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis Ha Noi, 2019 Nguyễn Thanh Nga i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS For the fulfillment of this study, first and foremost, I would like to express my high appreciation to my supervisor, Prof Nguyễn Hòa, the lecturer at Faculty of Post- Graduate, ULIS, VNU for his valuable instructions, comments as well as his advice I also would like to send my thankfulness to all the lecturers of Faculty of Post- Graduate, ULIS, VNU for their training and assistance that help me to accomplish this M.A thesis Last but not least, my deep gratitude is towards to my family and my friends for their valuable support and encouragement ii ABSTRACT This study aims at investigating and figuring out the ideologies embedded in the speech delivered by First Lady of the 44th U.S president, Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017 on International Women’s Day 2016 in Washington D.C.’s Union Market in front of dozens of adolescent girls in the Let Girls Learn from Critical Discourse Analysis (for short CDA) perspective In this study, the main dialectical – relational framework provided by Norman Fairclough is used to achieve its objective According to Fairclough’s CDA framework, the study conducts three major steps The analysis interprets data in three different levels: text analysis (description), processing analysis (interpretation) and social analysis (explanation) Each above phase can be sub- divided into three categories (experiential, relational, expressive) The conclusion supports her ideology that it is necessary that there be an equality for women in education across the globe, and she therefore calls for the approval and support from all corners of the world It also confirms the relationship between language and ideology in CDA and suggests some implications in language research and pedagogy iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS CDA: Critical Discourse Analysis SFG: Systemic Functional Grammar MR: Members’ Resource iv TABLE OF CONTENT DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS iv TABLE OF CONTENT v LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale Scope of the study Aims of the study and research questions Methodology of the study Design of the thesis CHAPTER 2THEORETICAL BACKGROUND& LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Definitions of CDA 2.2 Principles of CDA 2.3 Some key concepts in CDA 2.4 Approaches to CDA 2.5 Review of previous studies 16 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 19 3.1 Reasons to choose the speech 19 3.2 Context of the speech 20 3.3 Data analysis procedure 21 3.4 Fairclough ’s CDA framework 21 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 26 v 4.1 Textual description and Analysis 26 4.1.1 Appreciating women’s achievements 26 4.1.2 Sympathizing with women’s inequality 28 4.1.3 Supporting with women’s equality in education 32 4.2 Interpretation of the relationship between the productive and interpretative processes 41 4.2.1 Interpretation of situational context 41 4.2.2 Intertextual context and presupposition 43 4.3 Explanation of the relationship between discourse processes and social processes 43 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 47 Recapitulation 47 Conclusion 48 Implications 49 Limitations 51 Recommendations 52 REFERENCES 53 APPENDICES I APPENDIX I APPENDIX X APPENDIX XXX APPENDIX XXXVIII APPENDIX XL vi LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 2.1 Discourse as text, interaction and context (Fairclough, 2001, p.21) 10 Table 2.1 Overview of process types (adapted from Halliday, 1994) 13 Table 2.2 Basic speech role (Thompson, 1996, p 40) 14 Table 2.3 Components of a multiple theme (adapted from Halliday, 1994, p.54) 15 Figure 3.1 Interpretation (Fairclough, 2001, p 119) 23 Figure 3.2 Explanation (Fairclough, 2001, p 36) 25 vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION This part includes rationale, scope, aims, methodology and design of the thesis Rationale It is clear that language is the most important characteristic of human society, and it plays an important role in demonstrating human social relationship Therefore, researching the relationship between language and human society has attracted many researchers’ attention, especially linguists’ Those who take interest in this relationship apply the knowledge in Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA for short) to describe, interpret and explain these relationships According to Fairclough and Wodak (1997), that CDA addresses social issues is one of foundational principles of this critical approach Not only does it describe language but it also provides critical linguistic resources to linguists who want to discover social relations underlying in a wide number types of discourse in terms of both their linguistic factors and contexts This can help to uncover the relationship between language and human beings’ issues such as right, ideology or power Similarly, with the hope of conducting the study, I want to analyze Michelle Obama’s speech on International Women’s Day 2016 from CDA perspective This address is considered as a doctrine presented by Michelle Obama as First Lady of the US on behalf of all women around the world Through her speech, Michelle Obama hopes to emphasize the reasons why fighting for women’s rights and finding out the equality for all women, especially in education in the modern societyare absolutely indispensable More importantly, the study’s underlying aims is to illustrate CDA concepts and discover how language is encoded in the speech delivered by Michelle Obama on International Women’s Day 2016 in D.C The speech provokes a 46 I’m thankful 47 I’ve never faced anything like the horrors that many of these girls endure, like most women 48 I know how it feels to be overlooked, to be underestimated, to have someone only half listen to your ideas at a meeting 49 I’ve seen how these issues play out not just on a personal level, but on a national level in our laws and policies 51 in my lifetime -– and I’m not that old 70 I’ve seen it time and time again 74 then here I show up with a hoard of international reporters shoving microphones in their faces 83 I’m passionate about this 84 I truly see myself in these girls 85 I know 89 I have met countless men who learn about the plight of girls around the world 104 I could go on and on 105 I’ve got my bracelets on 132 I dream of being the youngest Nobel Prize winner for Nuclear Physics 175, I know 177, 180 179 I see it in your eyes 188 I want to close by thanking all of you once again for everything you have done in this year, and everything we will continue to XXXI together 189 I look forward to continuing our work together in the months and years to come 190 And I cannot wait to see all the doors we will open, all the fortunes we transform for girls across the globe XXXII Instances of the use of “WE” in the text Clause The use of “WE” Inclusive/ Exclusive We’ve got a lot to on this International Women’s inclusive Day we mark the first anniversary of Let Girls Learn inclusive today, we want to celebrate all of the wonderful Inclusive progress we’ve made and the momentum we’re seeing around girls’ education across the globe before we get started Inclusive 21 We are lucky to have someone like her in this Inclusive administration 33 each of us here today has a story like Samantha Inclusive shared about how we first got engaged in this issue – - the moment our heart first broke or we felt that first flare of outrage 34 we realized Inclusive 35 62 million girls worldwide –- girls who are just as Inclusive smart and hard-working as we are -– aren’t getting the opportunities that we sometimes take for granted 55 today, it is so easy to take for granted all the Inclusive progress we’ve made on these kinds of issues 58 we let our guard down for a single minute Inclusive 60 These freedoms that we take for granted aren’t Inclusive guaranteed in stone 93 we have been overwhelmed by the response we’ve XXXIII Inclusive received 115 we’ll be launching the next phase of this social Inclusive media campaign next week at South by Southwest 116 we haven’t just inspired folks here in the United Inclusive States 120 today, just 12 months after we launched Let Girls inclusive Learn, we’re seeing the impact of these efforts all around the world 121 We see it in the story of a girl named Fiker from Inclusive Ethiopia 126 We see the impact of our work in the story of a young Inclusive woman named Nourhan in Egypt 133 we’re seeing the impact of our efforts not just on Inclusive girls worldwide, but on young people right here at home 142 We’re in this together Inclusive 143 Together we [can] make a difference Inclusive 146 We’re in this together Inclusive 151 in the coming months, we’re going to be expanding Inclusive our call to action to support these girls 152 We are going to be engaging even more people Inclusive 167 in the end, that’s how we’re going to solve this Inclusive problem 171 we can this Inclusive 172 we can make this kind of project Inclusive 173 we keep putting in this effort and this investment that Inclusive XXXIV these girls deserve 174 we can get this done Inclusive 176 we are all up to the task Inclusive 178 we are Inclusive 190 I cannot wait to see all the doors we will open, all Inclusive the fortunes we – and futures we transform for girls across the globe 192 we can get this done Inclusive XXXV Instances of the use of “YOU” in the text Sentence The use of “YOU” Thank you so much Hey You guys good? It is a pleasure to be here with all of you 25 But most of all, I want to thank all of you for your tremendous leadership on behalf of girls around the world 26 Some of you have been with ussince the day we launched Let Girls Learn 27 some of you have been working on girls’ education for decades 28 and some of you are students who will be leading the way on this issue in years to come 30 you all are here 45 And like many of you, as a woman, I take all of this personally 48 I know how it feels to be overlooked, to be underestimated, to have someone only half listen to your ideas at a meeting to see them turn to the man next to you, the man you supervise, and assume he’s in charge or to experience those whistles and taunts as you walk down the street 50 You see 79 You see 86 many of you do, too 152 We are going to be engaging even more people -– moms and dads, faith and youth organizations, and young people like so many of you 153 Because there is so much thatstudents like you can to make a XXXVI real difference on girls’ education 154 You can study this issue and organize your classmates to take action 155 You can study or volunteer abroad and be on the front lines educating girls 156 After you graduate from college 157 you can even join the Peace Corps and run your own girls’ education project 158 Or if you get out there and get a job, like your parents may want you to 159 you can get your company involved in Let Girls Learn 162 you can be a part of making it happen 164 And you can start today by going to LetGirlsLearn.gov and find out how to get involved right now 166 as you can see 167 because in the end, that’s how we’re going to solve this problem –- one girl, one school, one village at a time, with folks like all of you particularly our young people leading the way 181 you feel that burning sensation, that sense of unfairness 187 and they are you 188 So I want to close by thanking all of you once again for everything you have done in this year, and everything we will continue to together 191 You think 193 Thank you all so much XXXVII APPENDIX Passive analysis Line Passive voice 45-47 For me, it was the drumbeat of horrifying stories: Malala Yousafzai shot in the head by terrorists just for speaking the simple truth that girls should to go school 47-49 More than 200 Nigerian girls kidnapped from their school dormitory by a terrorist group determined to keep them from getting an education 50-52 Little girls being brutally assaulted on their way to school, being forced to marry and bear children when they’re barely even teenagers 66-68 I know how it feels to be overlooked, to be underestimated, to have someone only half listen to your ideas at a meeting 74-75 In my lifetime, women were not legally allowed to make fundamental decisions about their bodies 76-78 In my lifetime, domestic violence was seen as a private matter between a man and his wife rather than as the horrific crime that it is 81-82 so many of these rights are under threat from all sides, always at risk of being rolled back 83 83-84 These issues aren’t settled These freedoms that we take for granted aren’t guaranteed in stone 85-86 these rights were secured through long, hard battles waged by women and men XXXVIII 122-123 we have been overwhelmed by the response we’ve received 168-169 Fiker had learned about the dangers of early marriage from a USAID program she was involved in 172-173 We see the impact of our work in the story of a young woman named Nourhan in Egypt XXXIX APPENDIX Thematic analysis Sentence Theme Type Marked/ Unmarked Thank you Interpersonal + You guys Topical - Hi Interpersonal + It Topical - And Textual + But Textual + Mrs Reagan Topical - Through Textual + And Textual + 10 And Textual + 11 So Textual + 12 I Topical - 13 We Topical - 14 I Topical - 15 I Topical - 16 But Textual + 17 Some of you Topical - 18 And Textual + 19 Give Topical - 20 Our young people Interpersonal + 21 And Textual + 22 For me Topical + XL 23 24 Malala Yousafzai More than 200 Nigerian girls Topical - Topical - 25 Little girls Topical - 26 Girls in every corner of the world Topical - 27 And Textual + 28 It Topical - 29 It Topical - 30 And Textual + 31 While Topical + 32 And Textual + 33 You Topical - 34 In my lifetime Topical + 35 In my lifetime Topical + 36 And Textual + 37 But Textual + 38 These issues Topical - 39 These freedoms Topical - 40 And Textual + 41 No Textual - 42 And Textual + 43 The ability to read, write and Topical - analyze 44 And Textual + 45 They Topical - 46 I Topical - 47 Girls in Cambodia Topical - XLI 48 Bangladeshi immigrant girls Topical - 49 These girls Topical - 50 And Textual + 51 They Topical - 52 They Topical - 53 You Topical - 54 It Topical - 55 And Textual + 56 And Textual + 57 And Textual + 58 I Topical - 59 So Textual + 60 This issue Topical - 61 From day one Topical + 62 They Topical - 63 They Topical - 64 They Topical - 65 They Topical - 66 Let Girls Learn Topical - 67 And Textual + 68 I Topical - 69 They Topical - 70 They Topical - 71 They Topical - 72 They Topical - 73 The Girl Scouts Topical - XLII 74 And Textual + 75 Folk of all ages and all walks of life Topical - 76 More than 1600 people in nearly all Topical - 50 states 77 Our #62MillionGirls Topical - 78 And Textual + 79 And Textual + 80 Our hashtag Topical - 81 And Textual + 82 And Textual + 83 And Textual + 84 We Topical - 85 But Textual + 86 She Topical - 87 We Topical - 88 When Topical + 89 But Textual + 90 And Textual + 91 I Topical - 92 And Textual + 93 Kids across the U.S Topical - 94 Students at a middle school in Topical - California 95 At a school in Wisconsin Topical + 96 As part of their campaign Topical + 97 They Topical - XLIII 98 We Topical - 99 Together Textual + 100 See Topical - 101 We Topical - 102 Because Textual + 103 They Topical - 104 They Topical - 105 And Textual + 106 We Topical - 107 Because Textual + 108 You Topical - 109 You Topical - 110 After Textual + 111 Or Textual + 112 That Topical - 113 That kind of commitment Topical - 114 Every single one of us Topical - 115 And Textual + 116 No contribution Topical - 117 And Textual + 118 And Textual + 119 But Textual + 120 If Textual + 121 I Topical - 122 I Topical - 123 I Topical - XLIV 124 I Topical - 125 Turn Topical - 126 Turn Topical - 127 Those girls Topical - 128 They Topical - 129 So Textual + 130 And Textual + 131 And Textual + 132 So Textual + 133 You Topical - 134 Thank you Interpersonal + XLV ... explores critical discourse analysis of Michelle Obama s speech on International Women s Day 2016, mainly based on Fairclough s CDA three-dimensional framework.It is an illustration and demonstration... relationalapproach by Norman Fairclough and the data analysis procedure of Michelle Obama s speech on International Women s Day 2016 are presented Chapter 4: Findings and discussion This chapter...VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES - - NGUYỄN THANH NGA A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF MICHELLE OBAMA’S