Book Review

Title: CONVERSATION ANALYSIS AND DISCOURSE ANALYSIS: A Comparative

and critical Introduction by Robin Wooffitt
Aims: This book is aimed to develop the understanding of conversational and
discourse analysis by using real examples of communication (daily life
conversations).
Review:
The introduction of conversation analysis (CA) and discourse analysis (DA) as
the approaches of methodology for the study of talk for the readers
understanding of social interaction and the role of discourse and
communication, the outline of the distinctive characteristics of some
approaches, and some cases which are made to further analyse for
conversation analysis; these are the objectives of this book. The
conversation analysis is deal with other analytic approaches to discourse.
The critical analysis and Foucauldian discourse analysis has also been
discussed in this book.
The first four chapter of this book is discussed about the way in which the
conversational analysis has been changed to make it easier for the readers
to understand how people interact when they have a conversation. In
conversational analysis the focus is in how the procedure of analysis of talkin-interaction, how participants organize their interactions to solve problems,
such as problem of understanding. The analysis in this book is always based
on audio recordings of interaction that are carefully transcribed in detail. In
this book the term of discourse analysis is much less clear than
conversation analysis, yet it can be a term for all efforts to analyze
discourse, texts, talk, and so on; because in this chapter, it is designed for
those who do not have any basic skill about discourse or linguistics.
Chapter 5 and 6 are discussed about the analytic research from the way that
language can be used to produce factual or authoritative accounts; and
discursive psychology, which investigates the use of a psychological
vocabulary, and the invocations of mental or cognitive properties or
attributes, as socially organized and interactionally oriented discursive
activity (Hooffitt, 2005: p. 3). In chapter 7, Hooffitt (2005) states the
discourse analysis and Foucauldian discourse analysis. He (2005) starts with
the discussion of the approach of the discourse analysis alternative to
communication analysis on a particular theme.

The rest of the chapter is a criticism of conversation analysis. Chapter 8 deal

with a critic of some practicable methodologies of communication analysis
which are unsatisfactory and offer no apparent benefit; and chapter 9,
Hooffitt (2005) shows that conversation analysis is perfectly capable of
addressing issue such as power (Hooffitt, 2005: p. 4) and that the
researchers outside conversation analysis are attracted in the
methodological resources. Crucially, an author makes particular choices
which reflect on their own particular interest. What makes me interest in
Hooffitts book is its focus on the issues and approaches which are relevant
to an academic context, especially British. He (2005) evidently has chosen to
write for an audience of British social science students. The choice is really
acceptable, but it is not made completely explicit. However, this approach
limits the usefulness of the book. An important difficulty in using the
conversation analysis/discourse analysis is that the two compared
approaches are very different, substantially and historically.
Comment/conclusion:
For discourse analysis in this book, in the restricted sense as used by Wooffitt
(2005), the basic idea is the intention to change the focus from the referents
of discourse, (for instance, a mental state such as cognition), to the
discursive practices through which such referents are improved. But even
within this field there varied approaches, as the author makes clear in
Chapters 5 and 6.
This book can be judged/evaluated in various ways. Wooffitts performed of
conversation analysis, its approach and methods, both on its own and in
contrast to the variant versions of discourse analysis and it seems that it is
essentially to the point and correct. The picture he draws is far from
complete. His discussions of the various kinds of discourse analysis,
conversation discourse analysis and Foucauldian discourse analysis were
clear and informative. Because of the usefulness for the readers, it seems
that the first four chapters seem quite usable, but subsequent the
explanation of the complex issues and arguments may be hard to
understand for many readers. As noted, the focus on the UK may limit its
usefulness for teaching elsewhere, but then, it may enhance its
informativeness for non-British researchers. The major criticism raised in the
review is that the books usefulness is limited by its restriction to approaches
currently explain about what happen in Britain and its selective treatment of

conversation analysis. In an epilogue the issues raised in the book are

discussed in a wider perspective.

Reference:
Wooffitt, Robin (2005). Conversation Analysis and Discourse Analysis: A
Comparative and Critical Introduction. London: SAGE Publications.
Wooffitt (2005) states, discursive psychology, which investigates the use of
a psychological vocabulary, and the invocations of mental or cognitive
properties or attributes, as socially organized and interactionally
oriented discursive activity (p.3).
Wooffitt (2005) states, conversation analysis is perfectly capable of
addressing issue such as power (p.4).