Description
Book SynopsisThis monograph is a pioneering discourse-oriented study on gambling. Adopting the approach of critical discourse analysis (CDA), it analyzes how gamblers’ identities are constructed through discourse by social institutions. The data consist of newspaper forum letters, gamblers’ monologues released by a state gambling regulatory agency, and materials on problem/pathological gambling published by medical professionals. Incorporating a variety of analytical frameworks from prior researchers into the study, the author offers concrete linguistic evidence on the essential complementary ontological presence of institutional power holders and the «docile bodies» (Foucault, 1977) for societal functioning and the maintenance of social stability.
Table of ContentsLiterature Review – Research Methodology – Opening Scene: The Public Sphere – Juxtaposition as a Symbolic Resource for Public Governance – Diffusion of Specialized Knowledge from Experts to Novices – Conceptualizations of Gamblers and Gambling – Summary and Concluding Remarks
