Psycho-discursive constructions of narrative in archetypal storytelling: a discourse-mythological approach

Abstract

The discourse-mythological approach (DMA) analyses psycho-discursive constructions of narrative in archetypal storytelling. The what and how of narrative warrants the concerns of discourse analysts who scrutinise the language of text and talk to understand the contexts in which narratives are constructed and their relation to social power. Discourse, semiotics and psychoanalytical theory have been synergised through the development of DMA; by moving towards a psycho-discursive position, ‘affective practice’ was adopted through a revised approach to Wetherell’s (2012. Affect and emotion: A new social science understanding. Sage) concept. This paper makes the case for psycho-discursive approaches in critical discourse studies before introducing Jung’s (1959. The archetypes and the collective unconscious. Routledge and Kegan) concept of archetypes and the collective unconscious. This confronts some of the tensions and misconceptions around Jung’s work whilst acknowledging the breadth of other psychoanalytical approaches that might benefit critical discourse studies. After providing examples of archetypes (monomyth and the trickster), I conclude by considering what these developments in narrative analysis mean for the field. As long as we remain critically concerned with ideology, approaches that analyse narrative construction through more attention to psychology, evolution and biology can help us to further innovate the interdisciplinary landscape of critical discourse studies.

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