Morality in Discourse

Morality pervades all aspects of society. However, morality is not only something that can be talked about, but such talk can have far-reaching, real-world consequences. Language is central to the ways in which morality is understood and practiced. There are gaps though in our understanding of how morality gets practically done in different discourse settings. The aim of this volume is to provide an introduction to research about morality in discourse, and the implications of this for advancing our understanding of morality across other disciplines.

Morality is pervasive, touching all aspects of social life. The contributors to this volume provide an introduction to research on how morality is socially constructed in and through discourse, and the implications of this for the empirical analysis and theorization of morality. The volume addresses both how morality gets done through everyday practices, as well as the practical concerns that discussions of morality inevitably entail. It does so by delving into how morality is socially constructed in an array of communicative environments through the lens of a range of different discourse analytic traditions. Drawing on the conceptual tools of moral stance, positioning, responsiveness and authority, the chapters address the ways in which morality is enacted, interactionally negotiated, contested and policed. What emerges from these discussions and analyses is an understanding of morality from a discursive perspective that encompasses both morality as action, in which moral stances become the articulated object of action, and moral framing, in which the situated context itself is morally charged for evaluation.