A pragmatic analysis of the discursive strategies used in Mwalimu Andrew's staffroom diary texts

Abstract

The Staffroom Diary by Mwalimu Andrew is a satirical and humorous text featured in the Sunday Nation that provides readers with insights into the experiences, observations, and contemplations of a fictional teacher persona. Its popularity as a lighthearted commentary has greatly aided in the exposure of serious and diverse issues through language. This paper analyzes the discursive strategies utilized in Mwalimu Andrew's Staffroom Diary texts. The study employed Critical Discourse Analysis theory (CDA) by Fairclough. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and employed a descriptive textual analysis design to examine linguistic and discursive features in Mwalimu Andrew’s Staffroom Diary texts. Systematic sampling was used to select the first column every month for a period of one year (2023). The findings indicated that Mwalimu Andrew utilizes discursive strategies, including referential nomination, argumentation, predication, perspectivation, and intensification, to clarify social roles and power dynamics among characters in the school context. The study established that writers use discursive strategies to shape readers’ and audiences’ perceptions of social roles. These strategies do more than entertain; they communicate and reinforce social realities, establish group identities, and celebrate leadership. This implies that speakers and writers should be cognizant of the fact that their language choices and repertoires of varieties in language use, while communicating diverse realities, can reinforce or challenge existing social hierarchies and cultural norms.