Critical Discourse Analysis
In this text, I am going to analyze an editorial column which is called “Improcedente paralizacion en el SML”, written by Diario La Tercera. I am going to analyze it taking into account three dimensions of analysis. First, I am going to analyze textual practice, follow by the discourse practice, and finally the social and ideological practice. Textual practice: According to this dimension, I could say that it is not a co-operatively constructed because it is not representing any conversation but it is constructed by three paragraphs which are connecting the text.
Besides, I could mention that the author follows a rule of politeness because it is written in an academic and formal way. Although, the image of the author is not represented in any features in the text, the author’s attitude itself is expressed in the text because the author expresses her/him opinion about the mobilization of Servicio Medico Legal, this is respresented by this phrase: “Lo ocurrido en este caso es inaceptable”. The meaning is being affected by syntactic structures and lexical choice.
They help readers to understand the meaning and the purpose of the editorial note. The syntactic structures are “se genero un desacato a la autoridad y el incumplimiento de una orden emanada de un tribunal” resulta muy grave que escudandose en demandas laborales, los funcionarios del servicio descuiden la delicada labor que cumplen. Those phrases provide the reasons of the author to mention: “Lo ocurrido en este caso es inaceptable”.
Also, the lexical choice is represented for these words: provoco, paralizacion, movilizaciones, genero, causo, tardanza, afecta, peritajes, among others. Moreover, it is important to include that there are some paradigms the first one is about strike: paralizacion, movilizaciones, paro de actividades. The second one is about social authorities: Servicio Medico Legal de Santiago, organismo publico, Carabineros, tribunal, director de la entidad, ministro de Justicia.
Discourse Practice According to this dimension of analysis, I consider that this text is conventional first because it is referring to a current event and likewise it is not the first time that a Chilean public entity performs a stoppage of its activities. This editorial note remind me others mobilizations that have occurred in Chile for example when the public institutions, like hospitals, kindergartens, among others, went on strikes during this year.
Moreover, this text represents an editorial note because the author is expressing his/her opinion about a current social event. This text is more accessible to different kinds of readers because it is represented an current news so it is not necessary for the readers to read between lines because the text is clear and direct, and it is representing the stance of the author. Also, I could mention that the text is presupposing that the readers know this event and therefore they are going to understand the stance of the author.
It could be reflected by this expression: “Se trata de hechos que no deben repetirse, tal como se comprometio el director de la entidad”. Finishing this dimension. I can say that the producer is the Diario La Tercera and the intended receivers are the people who read this newspaper that could be characterized as people from middle class. Social practice According to this dimension, I can say that the social identities that the author represents are Diario la Tercera, and also the families affected by this issue.
The relationship between the social identities that the author represents is that both parts the newspaper and the families believe that it is a painful issue and it cannot happen again, it could be representative with this expression: “El paro de actividades causo la tardanza en la entrega de varios cuerpos a sus familiares, prolongando innecesariamente ese doloroso momento” . n addition,
I can say that the newspaper is exerting power through the language on the readers, because the newspaper is in charge of selecting the editorial note published and with this kind of editorial column the newspaper is trying to persuade the reader. On the other side, the social goal of the text is to demonstrate that this social problem and create conscious about the topic for this reason the text is mportant to accomplish the goal because without it the reader would not understand the meaning of the text. The social situation that the editorial note is produced is a today? s event. It happened a week ago and every day this fact is being showed as regrettable news. Besides, it is a very conventional as I mentioned before because it is a controversial topic which remind us it is not the first time that a public institution goes on strike neglecting their duties and triggering problems to society.
It is a fact to say that the author appeals that this event is a serious incident and it has not happened again for that reason he/she claims expression like these: “Lo ocurrido en este caso es inaceptable…se genero un desacato a la autoridad y el incumplimiento de una orden emanada de un tribunal…Asimismo, resulta muy grave que escudandose en demandas laborales, los funcionarios del servicio descuiden la delicada labor que cumplen… Se trata de hechos que no deben repetirse”.
Finally, the social consequences of the text are to persuade readers that this incident cannot happen again in a country that claims to be developed. Another social consequence can elicit a response from readers to the public health institutions in order to avoid that these facts do not continue to happen.
