https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0433-6789
Education and identity formation are interconnected, and Positioning Theory in Applied Linguistics provides researchers with the tools to explore identity development and negotiation in educational contexts. The book brings light to positioning theory which explores the social distribution of “rights and duties to perform particular kinds of meaningful actions” through discourse (Harré, Citation2012, p. 193). Kayi-Aydar takes a pedagogical approach in explaining positioning theory with clarity and simplicity that makes reading the book a rewarding experience. It is clearly written for educational researchers just discovering the theory, although it will benefit anyone interested in discourse and identity. For instance, the book has guided my use of positioning theory to understand how different discourses shape preservice teachers’ digital teacher identity development in a technologically under-resourced context.
Kayi-Aydar uses educational research in language learning and teaching contexts to illustrate the educational relevance and application of the theory, without betraying the “multidisciplinary” nature of positioning theory. The author draws attention to different approaches to positioning theory, how they affect the analysis outcomes and how to tell whether positioning theory is right for your study. Readers from narrative analysis, critical discourse analysis, ethnography of communication, etc. will find similarities, differences and even attempted hybridisations of these strands with positioning theory highlighted and explained.
Doubling as a simplified theoretical explanation and a practical guide, the book enlightens the reader on the application of positioning theory as a theoretical lens or an analytical framework for educational research. The book has indeed enabled me to use positioning theory in both ways. All in all, from clarifying the tenets of the theory and illustrating its connection with discourse analysis theories in the first two chapters to demonstrating positioning theory in action in the subsequent chapters, Positioning Theory in Applied Linguistics effectively is accessible and usable for researchers.
Reference
- Harré, R. (2012). Positioning theory: Moral dimensions of social-cultural psychology. In J. Valsiner (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of culture and psychology (pp. 191–206). Oxford University Press.