The Wanderings of the Linguistic Turn in Anglophone Historical Writing (original) (raw)

The paper critiques the current state of discourse and textual analysis in Anglophone historical writing, emphasizing the divergence in definitions and applications of key terms such as 'text' and 'discourse.' It highlights the lack of consensus among historians regarding methodologies and theoretical frameworks in discourse analysis, despite the growing importance of textuality in historical research. By examining four specific books on the subject, the author illustrates the challenges and limitations faced by historical discourse analysis, noting the absence of a cohesive research agenda or cumulative findings in the field.