Tonight I watched the Delve video on “Discourse Analysis in Qualitative Research.” They defined discourse analysis as the study of language in context. The video noted that we adapt our language in different contexts. Thus, discourse analysis examines the words we choose. Some questions that discourse analysis may ask include how can language promote social change or how do frames of reference influence language interpretation? There are different types of discourse analysis: narrative analysis, conversation analysis, critical discourse analysis (CDA), and rhetorical analysis. Narrative analysis studies how stories, their structure, and their content shape our worldview, according to the video. Conversation analysis focuses on the details like turn-taking, gaze, and body language of conversations. Critical discourse analysis focuses on how language influences power structures. Rhetorical analysis studies how language persuades, informs, and entertains – examining rhetorical devices and metaphors, for example. The video noted that these approaches can be combined or used in tandem. Each approach offers a different way to frame the process. There are two categories of discourse analysis: language-in-use approach and socio-political approach. Language-in-use may code conversational markers. Socio-political approaches focuses on language constructs and power dynamics, for example. There are three steps to discourse analysis: context, structure, and statement. The video explained that James Gee provided 28 lenses for discourse analysis in their book “How to do Discourse Analysis: A Toolkit.” The three examples reviewed in the video were subject lens, intonation lens, and doing not saying lens. There is a blog post on this topic with additional details on the Delve Tool website.
