Margaret Wetherell (born 24 November 1954
) is a prominent academic in the area of
discourse analysis
Discourse analysis (DA), or discourse studies, is an approach to the analysis of written, vocal, or sign language use, or any significant semiotic event.
The objects of discourse Analysis (discourse, writing, conversation, communicative event) ...
.
Career
Wetherell worked for 23 years at the
Open University
The Open University (OU) is a British public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study of ...
, UK from which she retired as Emeritus Professor in 2011. She then took up a part-time post of Professor in Psychology at the
University of Auckland
, mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work
, established = 1883; years ago
, endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021)
, budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021)
, chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant
, vice_chancellor = Dawn ...
, New Zealand.
Work
Wetherell has promoted a discursive approach to psychology. Her 1987 book, ''Discourse and Social Psychology: Beyond Attitudes and Behaviour'', cowritten with
Jonathan Potter, was very influential, particularly in
social psychology
Social psychology is the scientific study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people or by social norms. Social psychologists typically explain human behavior as a result of the ...
, though also in other fields (e.g. Wood & Kroger, 2000). While discourse analysis has many different meanings, Wetherell's approach has been quite catholic in line with other
anglophone
Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the ''Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest languag ...
discourse analysts like Gilbert & Mulkay (1984).
Wetherell asserts that social actions and routines are formed within our respective social organizations, and that we can not separate a bodies, talk, and text.
In 2010/11 she led a collaboration on identity funded by the UK
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
Selected bibliography
Books
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Book chapters
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Journal articles
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Further reading
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References
External links
Profile page: Margaret WetherellOpen University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wetherell, Margaret
1954 births
Academics of the Open University
British psychologists
Living people
Social psychologists
Sociolinguists
Discourse analysts