Introduction: Communities, discourse and contexts

Abstract

The introduction provides an overview of the notions of communities and discourse, and the centrality of context and power imbalance in the analysis of media representations of different communities. It also includes a chapter by chapter summary of the collection, indicating the connections between them and the progression in the content. In a three-part structure, the book presents: Part I, critical perspectives on the role of discourse in reproducing deeply-rooted inequalities, as a first step towards challenging the system in which those imbalances are fostered and embedded; Part II examines the ways in which the representations of certain communities and social groups continue to perpetuate inequality; and Part III offers an overview of the connections between the representation of communities and their contexts.