This document discusses key concepts of language and discourse within cultural studies. It defines language as the process of communication that creates community by sharing meanings and values. Discourse provides the social context in which meaning is produced and interpreted. Representation through language involves the use of signs to present meanings. Cultural studies examines how representations function in society and sees an entire culture as a text made up of signs that relate to one another and the larger cultural context.

1. Language and
Discourse
Name: Saryu D. Baraiya
Subject: The Cultural Studies (Paper-VIII)
Roll No: 27
Study: M.A.
Year: Semester – II
Submitted to: Department of English
University: Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

2. Language & Discourse
 It is part of MATHODS of ‘Cultural Studies’.
 Define by Raymond Williams:
“Description of our experience comes to
compose a network of relationship, and all
our communication systems, including the
arts, are literally parts of our social
organization…. Since our way of seeing is
literally our way of living, the process of
communication is in fact the process of
community: the offering, reception and
comparison of new meanings, leading to the
tensions and achievements of growth and
change.”
(1921-1988)

3. Language & Discourse
 This definition is so important to ‘Cultural Studies’.
 To study a society is about whole culture, not only economic or political.
 Meanings and values are base of culture and exchange of it can create a
community: as per definition, “Communication creates Community”.
 A society’s meanings and values are reflected in economic and political
system.
 To study meaning is to study a culture.
 Culture is about role of meaning in society and sharing of meaning.
 Meanings are never fixed: they arrived through negotiation and exchange.
 Meaning are PROCESS of language.
 Language is not just a word or a print. It also includes speech, painting and
photography.

4. Language & Discourse
 As per ‘Cultural Studies’ “Meaning is Representation”.
 Representation is a process of signifying.
 That includes sign and its meaning.
 It presents a world in simple way for reader.
 It can be anything like a sound, a word , a image, a concept or anything.
 It uses signs for generate a meaning.
 This is a LANGUAGE in ‘Cultural Studies’.

5. Language & Discourse
word Concept
of word meaning
Representation/
Language
word
concept
meaning
context

6. Language & Discourse
 Language is not neutral and transparent.
 Issue of language is connected with class, power, ideology, and material
condition, in which interpretation and representation happens.
 Mainly use of language and all expressions are contextual.
 This context is DISCOURSE.
“Discourse is the context in which a
culture’s communication, meaning-
production and interpretation
occurs. It is the terrain of thought
and expression.”

7. Language & Discourse
 ‘Cultural Studies’ examines, how representation function in a particular
society.
 Ever object in the society has its own representation.
 This can be a symbol, a word, a metaphor, a visual sign and etc.

8. Language & Discourse
 ‘Cultural Studies’ sees a particular culture as a Text.
 Text is made up of signs.
 It makes use of theories from linguistics and structuralism to speak of the
textuality of the culture.
 Text is related with other text and read within the context of other text.
 Text is finally related to and read within a larger cultural text.

9. Language & Discourse
TEXT: Toys

10. Language & Discourse
Language: Meaning of toys (doll = feminine, tools = masculinity)

11. Language & Discourse
Discourse: Patriarchy and Gender difference

12. Thank you….