Discourse Structures and Social Cognition

This thesis draws on critical discourse analysis (CDA) as an approach to discourse analysis. CDA is reviewed with a focus on its methodological openness. T. A. Van Dijk's sociocognitive approach is combined with Corpus Linguistics. Lexicalisation, repetition, and nominalisation are analysed in a corpus compiled to cover David Cameron's speeches between 2005 and 2014. The interpretation of the findings taking into account the context structure of the corpus and features of continuity and change in the use of the three discourse structures analysed unveils Cameron's strategies in shaping 'Our' political identity and ideology. The resulting social representations reveal the aspects that define the Conservatives and the British Conservative Party under modern compassionate Conservatism. The conclusions reached relate to this thesis aim, scope, and the analysis of the selected discourse structures in the compiled corpus. This study has its limitations and possible implications for further research.