While ‘discourse’ has long been an object of investigation in many disciplines, the contours of a new field of transdisciplinary research are now coming to the fore: Discourse Studies. Known for theoretical orientations and methodological tools at the intersection of language and society, discourse research usually deals with social phenomena with a particular focus on the entanglements of power and language. While Discourse Studies has resulted from the exchange between numerous strands and approaches which deal with the social production of meaning, an increasing need for interdisciplinary exchange can now be observed. The 2nd International DiscourseNet Congress at Warwick (DNC#2) aims to represent the many strands, schools, and perspectives in Discourse Studies, from the humanities to the social sciences, from strictly interpretive to quantifying methodologies, from discourse as a situated practice to discourse as socially distributed knowledge.

We invite contributions which deal with theoretical and/or methodological challenges in Discourse Studies, preferably with a focus on the nexus of language and power. We especially welcome papers which re-examine existing discourse theoretical frameworks, study social phenomena empirically and reflect on the critical potentials of Discourse Studies.

Reflecting the diversity of disciplines in Discourse Studies, Ann Phoenix (University College London, Institute of Education, UK) and Michal Krzyżanowski (University of Liverpool, UK) have confirmed their participation.

Abstracts of no more than 200 words should be submitted through the application form by 1 March 2017 on http://dnc2.discourseanalysis.net. The presentations (15 minutes) are normally in English but other languages are welcome. Notifications of acceptance are expected to be communicated by 1 May 2017. If accepted, applicants will have to register to confirm their participation. An early-bird fee of 60£ will apply until 1 June 2017 for fully funded researchers and a reduced fee of 30£ for enrolled students without access to institutional funding (after 1 June 2017: 80£/40£). There is a limited number of places. Registration will be closed when full.

The DNC#2 congress is projected to begin at 10.30am on 13 Sep (Wed) and end at 4pm on 15 Sep (Fri).

Created in 2007, DiscourseNet is an interdisciplinary network of discourse researchers in the social sciences and humanities. Since its inception, DiscourseNet has organized more than 20 meetings, workshops and conferences in Europe (http://discoursenet.discourseanalysis.net). During the second DiscourseNet Congress, participants will be invited to discuss the possibilities of an international association which could be set up by 2019 and would be independent of DiscourseNet. Open to discourse researchers from all disciplines, schools and strands, such an association would aim to represent Discourse Studies as an interdisciplinary field.