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An Academic Literacies Approach to the Study of MA Crossing Borders: An academic literacies approach to the study of M.A. thesis writing on English Studies programmes in an Italian and a Hungarian University Carole Sedgwick B.A., M.A. PhD Thesis April 2011 ProQuest Number: 11003474 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 11003474 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 Abstract of thesis Entitled Crossing Borders: An academic literacies approach to the study of thesis writing on English Studies programmes in an Italian and a Hungarian University Carole Sedgwick B.A., M.A. for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Department of Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University April 2011 This thesis is an investigation of academic literacy practices on postgraduate English Studies programmes in two different national contexts in Europe, Hungary and Italy. It examines the transnational comparability of university qualifications in relation to the Bologna Declaration, which currently has forty-seven European signatory countries, and constitutes an agreement to create a higher education space in Europe with a common system of ‘readable’ and ‘comparable’ degrees. In the spirit of the Bologna Process, the thesis explores what a student would need to know and be able to do to complete written assignments on a postgraduate English Studies programme in a different European cultural and linguistic context. An ‘ethnographic-style’ approach was adopted to collect ‘rich’ data on graded written work from each programme at the end of the assessment period. The thesis focuses on six MA theses, which were treated as separate case studies. The dataset included interview transcripts and email communications with students, assessors and supervisors, thesis drafts, written feedback, programme and course documentation and journal writing. The case study data was analysed vertically, in relation to each individual case and horizontally across the case studies in an iterative process to identify themes and practices. The thesis demonstrates the value of an academic literacies approach to the investigation of language in contexts of use. The study reveals variation in practices of thesis making across the case studies with regard to originality, argument and analysis. Practices are shaped by disciplinary, epistemological, theoretical, methodological and ideological perspectives. Practices also index local responses to global and regional pressures and national policies. The findings enable a critical examination of the Bologna Process and argue for the creative potential of local practices and local collaborations to counter constrictive global hegemonies. Table of Contents Abstract of thesis .................................................................................................................... i List o f Tables ......................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ...............................................................................................................vi Declaration ......................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1 Introduction and literature review ................................................................. 1 1.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Literature review.....................................................................................................3 1.2.1 Quantitative studies of academic writing in context ................................... 3 1.2.2 Conceptualizing ‘context’............................................................................14 1.2.3 Qualitative studies of academic writing in context ....................................18 Chapter 2 Methodology.................................................................................................28 2.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................28 2.2 Paradigm, epistemology, theoretical and ideological perspectives..................28 2.3 Principles and procedures for data collection.....................................................30 2.3.1 Location........................................................................................................ 30 2.3.2 Preliminary study: Hungary .............................................................................32 2.3.3 Plan for data collection: Italy...................................................................... 33 2.3.4 Procedure for data collection: Italy.............................................................34 2.3.5 Plan for data collection: Hungary...............................................................37 2.3.6 Procedure for data collection: Hungary..................................................... 38 2.3.7 Focus on the theses......................................................................................39 2.3.8 Ethical considerations..................................................................................60 2.4 Principles and procedures of data analysis .........................................................61 2.5 Conclusion............................................................................................................65 Chapter 3 Case Study contexts .....................................................................................69 3.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................69 3.2 The Bologna Process............................................................................................69 3.3 The national contexts...........................................................................................73 3.3.1 Hungary ........................................................................................................73 3.3.2 Italy ............................................................................................................... 76 3.4 The Universities...................................................................................................80 3.4.1 The Hungarian university ........................................................................... 80 3.4.2 The Italian university ...................................................................................82 3.5 The English Studies programmes.......................................................................84 3.5.1 The Hungarian English Studies programme ..............................................84 3.5.2 The Italian English Studies programme..................................................... 89 3.6 Conclusion............................................................................................................... 91 Chapter 4 Originality.....................................................................................................93 4.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................93 4.2 Interpretations of originality............................................................................... 94 4.3 Making a contribution..........................................................................................98 4.3.1 Beneficiaries...............................................................................................100 4.3.2 Practice: discovering and demonstrating originality .............................. 113 4.4 Conclusion..........................................................................................................130 Chapter 5 Argument as academic literacy practice .................................................. 135 5.1 Introduction.........................................................................................................135 iii 5.2 Thesis development and evaluation .................................................................139 5.3 Structures and uses of argument.......................................................................143 5.4 Making and evaluating claims ..........................................................................160 5.4.1 Qualifying claims ........................................................................................161 5.4.2 Evaluating alternative claims and evidence ............................................. 166 5.6 Conclusion..........................................................................................................177 Chapter 6 Analysis as academic literacy practice .....................................................184 6.1 Introduction.........................................................................................................184 6.2 Selection of texts and tools for analysis...........................................................185 6.2.1 Selection of texts.........................................................................................185
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