Margaret Wetherell (born 24 November 1954^[1]) is a prominent academic in the area of discourse analysis.

Career

Wetherell worked for 23 years at the Open University, UK from which she retired as Emeritus Professor in 2011. She then took up a part-time post of Professor in Psychology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.^[2]

Work

Wetherell has promoted a discursive approach to psychology. Her 1987 book, Discourse and Social Psychology: Beyond Attitudes and Behaviour, cowritten with Jonathan Potter, was very influential, particularly in social psychology, though also in other fields (e.g. Wood & Kroger, 2000). While discourse analysis has many different meanings, Wetherell's approach has been quite catholic in line with other anglophone discourse analysts like Gilbert & Mulkay (1984).

Wetherell asserts that social actions and routines are formed within our respective social organizations, and that we can not separate a bodies, talk, and text.^[3]

In 2010/11 she led a collaboration on identity funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).^[2]

Selected bibliography

Books

• Wetherell, Margaret; Potter, Jonathan; Stringer, Peter (1984). Social texts and context: literature and social psychology. London Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 9780710095534.
• Wetherell, Margaret; Potter, Jonathan (1987). Discourse and social psychology: beyond attitudes and behaviour. London Newbury Park, California: SAGE. ISBN 9780803980563.
• Wetherell, Margaret; Sapsford, Roger; Still, Arthur; Miell, Dorothy; Stevens, Richard (1998). Theory and social psychology. London Thousand Oaks California: SAGE in association with the Open University. ISBN 9780761958390.
• Wetherell, Margaret; Miell, Dorothy (1998). Doing social psychology. London Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE in association with the Open University. ISBN 9780761960492.
• Wetherell, Margaret; Miell, Dorothy; Sapsford, Roger; Still, Arthur; Stevens, Richard (1998). Theory and social psychology. London Thousand Oaks California: SAGE in association with the Open University. ISBN 9780761958390.
• Wetherell, Margaret; Taylor, Stephanie; Yates, Simeon J. (2001). Discourse theory and practice: a reader. D843 Course: Discourse Analysis. London Thousand Oaks California: SAGE in association with the Open University. ISBN 9780761971566.
• Wetherell, Margaret; Taylor, Stephanie; Yates, Simeon J. (2001). Discourse as data: a guide for analysis. D843 Course: Discourse Analysis. London Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE in association with the Open University. ISBN 9780761971580.
• Wetherell, Margaret (2012). Affect and emotion a new social science understanding. Los Angeles London: SAGE. ISBN 9780857028570.

Book chapters

• Wetherell, Margaret; Still, Arthur (1998), "Realism and relativism", in Wetherell, Margaret; Sapsford, Roger; Still, Arthur; Miell, Dorothy; Stevens, Richard (eds.), Theory and social psychology, London Thousand Oaks California: SAGE in association with the Open University, pp. 99–114, ISBN 9780761958390.
• Wetherell, Margaret; Still, Arthur (1988), "Discourse analysis and the identification of interpretative repertoires", in Antaki, Charles (ed.), Analysing everyday explanation: a casebook of methods, London Newbury Park, California: SAGE, pp. 168–183, ISBN 9780803981409.
• Wetherell, Margaret; Edley, Nigel (1998), "Gender practices: steps in the analysis of men and masculinities", in Henwood, Karen; Griffin, Christine; Phoenix, Ann (eds.), Standpoints and differences: essays in the practice of feminist psychology, London Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE, pp. 165–173, ISBN 9780761954446.
• Wetherell, Margaret (2001), "Editor's introduction, Part one: foundations and building blocks", in Wetherell, Margaret; Taylor, Stephanie; Yates, Simeon J. (eds.), Discourse theory and practice: a reader, D843 Course: Discourse Analysis, London Thousand Oaks California: SAGE in association with the Open University, pp. 9–13, ISBN 9780761971566.
• Wetherell, Margaret (2001), "Themes in discourse analysis: the case of Diana", in Wetherell, Margaret; Taylor, Stephanie; Yates, Simeon J. (eds.), Discourse theory and practice: a reader, D843 Course: Discourse Analysis, London Thousand Oaks California: SAGE in association with the Open University, pp. 14–28, ISBN 9780761971566.
• Wetherell, Margaret (2001), "Editor's introduction, Part three: minds, selves and sense making", in Wetherell, Margaret; Taylor, Stephanie; Yates, Simeon J. (eds.), Discourse theory and practice: a reader, D843 Course: Discourse Analysis, London Thousand Oaks California: SAGE in association with the Open University, pp. 186–197, ISBN 9780761971566.
• Wetherell, Margaret; Potter, Jonathan (2001), "Unfolding discourse analysis", in Wetherell, Margaret; Taylor, Stephanie; Yates, Simeon J. (eds.), Discourse theory and practice: a reader, D843 Course: Discourse Analysis, London Thousand Oaks California: SAGE in association with the Open University, pp. 198–209, ISBN 9780761971566.
• Wetherell, Margaret (2001), "Debates in discourse research", in Wetherell, Margaret; Taylor, Stephanie; Yates, Simeon J. (eds.), Discourse theory and practice: a reader, D843 Course: Discourse Analysis, London Thousand Oaks California: SAGE in association with the Open University, pp. 380–399, ISBN 9780761971566.

Journal articles

• Wetherell, Margaret; Potter, Jonathan; Stiven, Hilda (March 1987). "Unequal egalitarianism: a preliminary study of discourses concerning gender and employment opportunities". British Journal of Social Psychology. 26 (1): 59–71. doi:10.1111/j.2044-8309.1987.tb00761.x.
• Wetherell, Margaret (July 1998). "Positioning and interpretative repertoires: conversation analysis and post-structuralism in dialogue" (PDF). Discourse & Society. 9 (3): 387–412. doi:10.1177/0957926598009003005. S2CID 145411889.
• Wetherell, Margaret (June 1999). "Beyond binaries". Theory & Psychology. 9 (3): 399–406. doi:10.1177/0959354399093009. S2CID 220400917.
• Wetherell, Margaret; Edley, Nigel (August 1999). "Negotiating hegemonic masculinity: imaginary positions and psycho-discursive practices" (PDF). Feminism & Psychology. 9 (3): 335–356. doi:10.1177/0959353599009003012. S2CID 145350243.