WHO ARE STARGAZERS? A discourse analysis of the target group

Abstract

This thesis examines the intended target group of a Japanese stargazing guide book through a discourse analysis of the translations of relevant segments in the material. The aim of the study has been to determine who the reader and the participants are, based on how they are described in the book. To do this, related sentences in the source material have been extracted and translated to English with a focus on the meaning of the words connected to the roles in the target group. The translated segments have been analysed through discourse theory, and categorized according to which master signifiers they are describing. The results show that the book is intended for a reader who can be identified as an authority, is already interested in astronomy, and will be leading participants, or followers, in stargazing activities. The authority and the followers have several different roles, or subject positions, to choose among, which deviates from one another. The heavy focus on the group of participants, and certain attributes that are connected to the authority, reflects a collectivistic mind-set that is being relayed through the text.