Bruce Fraser
Professor Emeritus
Dr. Bruce Fraser is professor emeritus of linguistics and education at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. His research focused on semantics, pragmatics, discourse analysis, and conflict resolution. His work focused on the area of discourse markers (e.g., but, so, then, furthermore, and), connectors of discourse which typically signal a relationship between two adjacent segments. In a series of papers beginning in 1990, he set forth a theory of discourse markers, which defines this functional class and distinguishes them from other particles and similar lexical formatives. His research in conflict resolution included examining pragmatic tactics used in mediation and the role of a neutral as a lie detector.
Education
PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
BEE, Cornell University
Selected Publications
The path to leadership among community health center medical directors: implications for medical training (with J. Markuns & J. Orlander). Journal of Family Medicine, 2010.
The Sequencing of Contrastive Discourse Marker in English. In the Baltic Journal of the English Language, Literature and Culture, Riga, Latvia. 2010.
Pragmatic Competence: The Case of Hedging. In New Approaches to Hedging. Edited by G. Kaltenboeck et al. Emerald Publishing. 2010
The Discourse Marker on the Contrary. In Jacob Mey, A Festschrift, edited by B. Fraser & K Turner. Emerald Press. 2009.
Language in Life, and A Life in Language. Jacob Mey – A Festschrift. Edited by B. Fraser & K. Turner. Emerald Press, 2009.
Hedging in Political Discourse: The 2007 Bush Press Conference. In Papers from the 2nd International Conference on Political Discourse, Warsaw, Poland, edited by Piotr Cap, 2009