Ethnography of Communication as an approach to study political discourse: The case of Belarus

This lecture will focus on the theory of Ethnography of Communication, as well as on the intellectual roots of this approach to study culture and communication in social contexts. Based on the ongoing research project that is focused on the study of Russian-language political discourse in Belarus, you will see how this approach can be used to get important insights from public discussions of political events. We will talk about the ways Russian-language political discourse found in everyday interactions and public communication about politics contributes to the construction of meaning about politics and identity in modern-day Belarus. If time allows, we will also practice using the approach to analyze the actual discursive data.