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The article concentrates on the most essential elements of a social science as research, whereby research is strictly interpreted as the verification of a theory in a particular field but neither as "theorie sans terrain" nor "terrain sans theorie". Yet even if this particular employment in the field of social science is explicitly conceived of as privileging the logic of discovery and the strictures of proof in opposite to all preconstructed themes, theories and traditions of different disciplines, it cannot simply be reduced to the standpoint of pure logic. Engagement for social science as reflexive research means to further its practical, political acceptance by using the results obtained from research, means fighting for her autonomisation in terms of contributing to the creation of appropriate forms of sociability for its activities and reception (such as the formation of a reading public, discussion forums, effective tools with which to combat social barriers to the attainment of knowledge, etc.). ; The article concentrates on the most essential elements of a social science as research, whereby research is strictly interpreted as the verification of a theory in a particular field but neither as "theorie sans terrain" nor "terrain sans theorie". Yet even if this particular employment in the field of social science is explicitly conceived of as privileging the logic of discovery and the strictures of proof in opposite to all preconstructed themes, theories and traditions of different disciplines, it cannot simply be reduced to the standpoint of pure logic. Engagement for social science as reflexive research means to further its practical, political acceptance by using the results obtained from research, means fighting for her autonomisation in terms of contributing to the creation of appropriate forms of sociability for its activities and reception (such as the formation of a reading public, discussion forums, effective tools with which to combat social barriers to the attainment of knowledge, etc.).

"Social Media ermöglichen innovative Formen von medialen Techniken und sozialen Praktiken, die in bestehende Machtbeziehungen eingreifen können. Machtbeziehungen sind dem Foucaultschen Gouvernementalitätskonzept zufolge nicht hierarchisch oder einseitig aufgebaut, sondern entwickeln sich vielmehr dynamisch und netzwerkartig zwischen den beteiligten Akteur innen. Als Akteur innen können Menschen, Dinge, Natur oder beispielsweise auch verschiedene Denk- und Verhaltensmuster auftreten. Regierungsformen als Techniken der Selbst- oder Fremdregierung üben dabei eine Scharnierfunktion aus und wirken intermediär zwischen Macht- und Herrschaftsbeziehungen. Nachrichten und Statusinformationen via Text; Ton oder Bild vermitteln über das Social Web Wissen, das eine zentrale Rolle bei der Etablierung von Machtbeziehungen spielt und so neue Freiräume schaffen kann. Freiräume können dabei Möglichkeitsfelder für Partizipation und Gegenöffentlichkeiten (Wimmer 2008: 210) eröffnen." (Autorenreferat)

Introduction : power, discourse and institutions / Andrea Mayr -- Discourses of higher education : enterprise and institutional change in the university / Andrea Mayr -- Prison discourse : enterprising managerialism in a total institution / Andrea Mayr -- News discourse I : understanding the social goings-on behind news texts / David Machin -- News discourse II : anti-racism and neo-liberalism in the British regional press / David Machin and Andrea Mayr -- Defence discourse I : the visual institutionalization of discourses in war monuments / Gill Abousnnouga and David Machin -- Defence discourse II : a corpus perspective on routine and rhetoric in defence discourse / Tony Bastow -- Conclusion : researching institutional discourse / Andrea Mayr with Tony Bastow