Discourse analysis
Examine what language accomplishes
Discourse analysis investigates how language constructs versions of reality, identities and social relations. Traditions differ: discursive psychology examines situated actions and accountability, while critical discourse approaches foreground power and ideology. Analysts therefore specify their tradition, theoretical assumptions and unit of analysis. Rather than treating speech as a transparent report, they examine how formulations work in context.
Use when the question concerns how descriptions, identities or legitimacy are accomplished through language. Choose a discourse tradition and collect material with enough interactional or institutional context for its analytical claims.
Strengths
- Shows how language performs social actions
- Reveals variability and taken-for-granted assumptions
Limitations
- Claims can exceed the contextual evidence available
- Different traditions require different analytic skills
Know the boundary
Discourse analysis does not simply code opinions or prove speakers' private beliefs.