1:00 pm
The 1916 Room, Bird Library
October 22, 2002

Drawing on the literature of critical linguistics, particularly the work of Norman Fairclough, this presentation develops a definition of identity formation, a process fostered, in varying degrees, by the discourse of academic disciplines and professional fields. Focusing on political science as a sample discipline, the presentation illustrates how identity formation works in popular-press pieces and in scholarly journal articles. The presentation concludes by suggesting how students who must learn to read and write in an academic discipline can understand identity formation and use it as one of the heuristics that guide their work.