Discourse Analysis

Discourse analysis is a general term for analyzing written or spoken use of a language. Developed by Zellig Harris in 1952, discourse analysis first looked at formal equivalence relations among sentences of a discourse, where equivalent units of information appear together. Discourse in linguistics is defined as “language in use” or “socially situated text and talk.” In other disciplines, such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, communication studies, and marketing, discourse is seen as a system of power and knowledge situated in a specific time and space. Discourse analysis in consumer culture refers to an analysis of oral and written speech of consumers (and producers) in order to understand related meanings, cultures, and practices in making theoretical explanations. The outcome of discourse analysis might be a different ...