Session 5

Question 1

Who invented the concept of Interdiskursanalyse?

Answer 1

Jürgen Link (He is an outspoken political activist situated on the left of the spectrum: Thus the aim of his work is political)

Question 2

According to Interdiskursanalyse: What is the base for the Division of discourses?

Answer 2

The specialization of the labour force: “Auf der Basis der für die Moderne fundamentalen Dialektik der Arbeitsteilung tendieren die diskursiven Formationen … zu immanenter Spezialisierung, zur spezifischen und irreduktibel besonderen Konstituierung ihrer Gegenstände, zu eigenem Lexikon und zu eigener Grammatik….”

Thus the specialized discourses drift further and further apart.

Question 3

What is the centtral question asked by tthe Interdiskursanalyse??

Answer 3

Despite the drifiting apart of tthe specialized discourses, How and why do people still understand each other at times?

Question 4

What is the answer to the central question posed by the Interdiskursanalyse?

Answer 4

People can still understand each other, “weil es nicht bloß Spezialdiskurse, sondern - mit re-integrativer Funktion - auch interdiskursive Sprachspiele gibt.”

Question 5

How does the Interdiskurs work?

Answer 5

“Es lassen sich in literarischen Texten Elemente diskursübergeifender und damit die ausdifferenziierten Spezialdiskurse re-integrierender Funktion bestimmen, wie etwa die verschiedenen Modelle von Metaphern, Symbolen, Analogien und Mythen. Solche elementar-literarischen Elemente bilden in ihrer Gesamtheit den allgemeinen diskursiven Rahmen eines Diskurssystems.” (Think of conceptual metaphor!) (Symbols we are all acquainted with and stories we all know help us communicate across the boundaries of the specialized discourses) (Specialized discourses can be translated into the Interdiscourse using such collective metaphors/symbols)

Question 6

What are the implications if we assume the Interdiskursanalyse?

Answer 6

1. The Intterdiskurs provides the terms in which social, cultural and political conflicts are negotiated. (To a degree the symbols provided by the Interdiskurs determine the outcome of the communication)
2. The Interdiskurs is highly characteristic of the respective cultures.
3. Changes in Culture can be observed in the changes of collecttive symbols.

Question 7

What are the questions which remain to be answered by the Interdiskursanalyse?

Answer 7

1. Which symbols become part of the Interdiskurs? For what reasons?
2. Do we really observe culture in Interdiskursanalyse of is this jsut a socio-linguistic theory?

Question 8

How and why do symbols become collective symbols?

Answer 8

“Die einzelnen Kollektivsymbole repräsentieren bzw. konnotieren häufig einen bestimmten Spezialdiskurs als Herkunftsbereich. Das Symbolsystem scheint wie ein Markt zu funktionieren, auf dem verschiedene Spezialdiskurse in bestimmte exemplarische Stereotypen umschlagen können.” (Where certain specialized discourses gett repeated regularly in mettaphorical use and are applicable to both sides of a party they become part of the Interdiscourse)

“Unter Kollektivsymbole möchte ich Sinn-Bilder verstehen, deren kollektive Verankerung sich aus ihrer sozialhistorischen Relevanz ergibt.”

Question 9

What are the Rules of how and why symbols become collective symbols?

Answer 9

1. A symbol has to be usable in contemporary conflicts (or) It has to provide “Discoursive Positions”.
2. Elements of the Interdiscourse usually come from specialised discourses, that are particularly relevant at the respective historical point in time. Elements of the Interdiscourse tend to stay relevant for a certain time after the cultural event promoting them passed.

Question 10

Why does the Interdiskursanalyse carry Marxist Heritage?

Answer 10

Because in their eyes the cultural discourse is shaped by the relevance of a certain technology.

Question 11

According to Interdiskursanalyse, what is the function of literature?

Answer 11

“Einzelnen Individuen bleibt ein großer Spielraum zur Neu-Kombinatorik und Neu-Montage diskursiver Positionen. Was als geistreiche Formulierung solcher Art in der Konversation vielleicht bald wieder vergessen wird, kann selbst zum wirksamen diskursiven Ereignis werden, wenn es literarisch formuliert und wirksam rezipiert wird.” (Similar to German idealism. The author/artist can explain the world to the Interdiscourse) At ttimes we mightt find a metaphor that stticks in cultural Discoursse

Thus: “Litteratur testet potentielle interdiskursive Elemente in dem “ungeheuren, in der Masse gedruckter Texte wimmelnden und flukttuierenden polemischen Interdisurs-Spiel” auf ihre Leisttungsfähigkeit”.

Or: Literature is the “Research-Centre and Testing-Ground for potential new collective symbols”.

Question 12

Why did the “Use of complex systtems as living organisms” become a collective symbol?

Answer 12

1. Itt is highly relevant in the contemporary social and technological context.
2. Itt provides discursive positions, i.e. allows expression of relevant cultural conflicts.

Question 13

Whatt are the advantages of Interdiskursanalyse?

Answer 13

1. It has a clear methodology (It is easy to comprehend)
2. It lays bare some of the basic conceptual assumptions of cultures.
3. It displays a plausible view of Literature
4. It overcomes Thick Description’s focus on immediately visible phenomena

Question 14

What are the disadvantages of Interdiskursanalyse?

Answer 14

1. Too strong a focus on language
2. Exactt mode of establiisshment of “Collective Symbols” remains unclear: The solutions Link provides as to How and why symbols become collectiive symbols are insufficient and to unspecific.
3. Consequently, no systematic concept of the mental processes that underlie a given culture.