Discourse analysis is a qualitative research method that examines language in use.

It is
used to understand how language is used to create meaning, construct social reality, and
maintain power relations. Discourse analysis can be applied to a wide range of
communication contexts, including spoken and written language, as well as multimodal
communication (e.g., images, videos, and social media posts).

There are two main approaches to discourse analysis:

 Language-in-use approaches: These approaches focus on how language is

used in social interaction to create and negotiate meaning. They are
interested in the micro-level features of language use, such as turn-taking,
topic management, and repair strategies. Language-in-use approaches are
often used to study conversations, interviews, and other forms of spoken
discourse.

 Socio-political approaches: These approaches focus on the relationship

between language and power. They are interested in how language is used to
construct and maintain social inequalities, such as racism, sexism, and
classism. Socio-political speeches, and other forms of public discourse.

Language-in-use approaches

 Conversation analysis (CA): CA is a micro-level approach to discourse

analysis that focuses on the structure and organization of conversation. CA
researchers are interested in how participants in a conversation take turns,
manage topics, and repair misunderstandings. CA is often used to study
everyday conversations, such as those between friends, family members, and
colleagues.

 Interactional sociolinguistics: Interactional sociolinguists study how

language is used in different social contexts. They are interested in how
factors such as social status, gender, and ethnicity influence language use.
Interactional sociolinguists often use ethnographic methods to collect data,
such as participant observation and interviews.
 Ethnography of communication: The ethnography of communication is a
holistic approach to discourse analysis that examines the relationship
between language and culture. Ethnographers of communication study how
language is used in different communities and social groups. They are
interested in how language is used to construct and maintain social identities,
as well as how it is used to transmit cultural knowledge.
Socio-political approaches

 Critical discourse analysis (CDA): CDA is a macro-level approach to discourse

analysis that focuses on the relationship between language and power. CDA
researchers are interested in how language is used to construct and maintain social
inequalities. They often use CDA to study public discourse, such as news
media, political speeches, and advertising.

Pioneers and authors of each approach

 Conversation analysis: Harold Garfinkel, Emanuel Schegloff, Gail Jefferson,

Harvey Sacks
 Interactional sociolinguistics: John Gumperz, Erving Goffman, Dell Hymes
 Ethnography of communication: Dell Hymes, John Gumperz, Elinor Ochs
 Critical discourse analysis: Norman Fairclough, Ruth Wodak, Teun van Dijk

Examples

 Conversation analysis: A CA researcher might study how participants in a job

interview take turns asking and answering questions.
 Interactional sociolinguistics: An interactional sociolinguist might study how
the use of slang varies between different social groups.
 Ethnography of communication: An ethnographer of communication might
study how language is used in a religious community to construct and
maintain religious identity.
 Critical discourse analysis: A CDA researcher might study how language is
used in news media to construct and maintain social stereotypes.

Discourse analysis is a powerful tool for understanding how language is used to

create meaning, construct social reality, and maintain power relations. It can be used
to study a wide range of communication contexts and to address a variety of
research questions.