Discourse Analysis

Not simply a method, discourse analysis (DA) is an umbrella term that encompasses considerable variation in subject matter and approach. DA may be defined as (a) a method for doing social research, (b) a body of empirical knowledge about how talk and text are organized, (c) the home of various theories about the nature and workings of human communication and theories about the construction and reproduction of social reality, and (d) related to language and life. DA is concerned with both spoken and written discourse. It can deal with almost any socially situated language use in any channel or medium ranging from advertising of cosmetics to medical [Page 609]record keeping. Discourse analysts might work with written data (e.g., articles in teen magazines), data from sign ...