Browsing by Author "Wilkinson, Laura Gery"

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    'Crazy, mad, and dangerous' : a critical discourse analysis of the (re)construction of mental illness in South African magazines
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2019-04) Wilkinson, Laura Gery; Mongie, Lauren; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research intended to establish what the discourses of mental illness in South African magazines are, and determine whether there is a need for a revision of the current reporting practices on mental illness in mass media in order to destigmatise mental illness in the social sphere and foster positive presentations in mass media. Specifically, it addresses the following research questions: (i) how is mental illness represented in the South African magazines You, Drum, and Move!; (ii) what linguistic tools are used in the discursive (re)construction of mental illness in You, Drum, and Move!, and (iii) how do You, Drum, and Move! differ in their construction of mental illness as a primary, secondary, or tertiary focus. To answer these research questions, this study adopts a Critical Discourse Analytical (CDA) approach; specifically it looks at mental illness through the lens of Van Dijk’s approach to CDA. It also draws on several concepts from other theories from the field of Discourse Analysis (DA) that are useful in analysing the discursive construction of social reality, namely Goffman’s framing theory, Scollon’s theory of attribution, and Huckin’s discussion of “discreet silences” as a form of textual silence. The findings of this study showed You, Drum, and Move! were similar in their topicalization of mental illness as You and Move! topicalised depression the most, while Drum equally topicalised depression and suicide. The top two issues topicalised in all three of the magazines primary, secondary, and tertiary articles were depression and suicide. The most prominent themes that co-occurred with topics of mental illness in the primary, secondary, and tertiary articles were dangerousness (to oneself or to others), and the professional treatment of mental illness. Further, the linguistic tools used in the discursive (re)construction of mental illness include: evaluative nouns, evaluative verbs, evaluative adverbs, evaluative adjectives, metaphors, comparisons, implicature, discreet silences, and polarization. This study makes a starting contribution to addressing the challenges of inaccurate beliefs about mental illness, ignorance about the magnitude of mental health problems, and stigma against those living with mental illnesses, by investigating the role of the media in engendering stigma, encouraging ignorance, and producing inaccurate beliefs about mental illness.