Transcript for:
Discourse Analysis Lecture Notes

In this video, we are going to unpack the  sometimes tricky topic of discourse analysis.   We will explain what it is consider its strengths  and weaknesses and discuss when and when not to   use this analysis method. By the end of this  video, you should have a clear understanding   of the basics of discourse analysis so you can  make an informed decision for your research   project. By the way, if you are currently working  on a dissertation, thesis or research project be   sure to grab our free dissertation templates to  help fast-track your write-up. These tried and   tested templates provide a detailed roadmap  to guide you through each chapter section by   section. If that sounds helpful you can  find the link in the description below. So what exactly is discourse analysis? Well,  simply put discourse analysis is a qualitative   analysis method that looks specifically at  the subjective underlying meaning of language   in written or spoken communication within the  context in which it takes place. To break that   down a little more a good discourse analysis  will interpret language in the appropriate   social, cultural, political and historical  background so as to draw out its meaning.   That language data could be taken from interviews,  speeches, group discussions, transcripts or even   recordings. In other words, discourse analysis  can be used on both primary and secondary data   making it quite a versatile analysis method.  Does that sound a bit fluffy and conceptual let   us look at an example to make it a little more  tangible. Discourse analysis could potentially   be a useful approach if you were, for example,  researching people’s perceptions of government   policy on immigration. In that case, you might  analyse the use and meaning of particular words   and phrases taken from interview transcripts in  the contemporary socio-political context. The idea   would then be to identify and analyse the intended  meaning of those words rather than just their   definition or frequency. As you can see discourse  analysis allows you to go deeper than just the   surface-level themes as you might do with thematic  analysis or to observe the frequency of words or   phrases as you might with content analysis.  Instead, its focus is squarely on meaning   within context. By the way, if you are interested  in learning more about the other analysis methods,   I mentioned check out our analysis methods video  up here or follow the links in the description. Now that we have laid down some foundations it is  important to understand the two main ways in which   you can approach discourse analysis. Specifically,  these are the language-in-use approach and the   socio-political approach. Each of these works a  little differently and sounds a little worse than   they are. So let us break down what they mean.  First up is the language-in-use approach. Here   your analysis will focus on the technicalities  in the use of language such as grammar,   syntax and phenology. With this approach, the idea  is to analyse how the finer details of language   are used and manipulated within the context of  communication. Let us look at an example to make   this a little more tangible. The English language  has a relatively inflexible subject-verb object   syntactical structure. Producing sentences like  Sarah, the subject, wrote, the verb, a research   paper, the object. So if an English speaker were  to say something like the paper that Sarah wrote a   language-in-use analysis might investigate the  function or effect of that sentence structure   within a particular social context. For example,  a politician might deliberately bend or break the   rules of formal English syntax when speaking  about a certain topic or in a certain context   and then adopt formal syntax in another. Here  a language and use analysis could reveal that   particular speech patterns reflect assumptions  about power or privilege and class disparities   between the speaker and their audience. Okay,  now that we have looked at the language-in-use   approach next up we have got the socio-political  approach which is sometimes also called the social   constructivist approach. More accurately we should  say approaches as there are a few potential routes   within this category. Here we get closer to the  philosophical roots of discourse analysis. But   do not worry we will cut through the complexities.  One of the most common socio-political approaches   is known as critical discourse analysis or  CDA. The main concerns of CDA are the use   and dynamics of power and power relations. This  kind of analysis is inspired by the philosopher   Michelle Foucault and his work on how language  reflects power in society. For Foucault, almost   all language tells us something about power and  how it is used. That is all a little heavy I know   so let us look at an example of CDA in action.  Let us imagine your research aims to explore   the opinions of university students regarding  their professors by analysing recordings of their   lectures and communications. In one scenario you  might find that professors’ thoughts and opinions   are often treated with deference, respect and  authority reflecting a kind of normalised power.   This is the type of power that is expressed  and imposed almost without anyone noticing   because it is built into students’ assumptions  about professors. Conversely in another scenario   at another university department for example  you might find that professors openly chastise   students for speaking out of turn which would  reflect a form of repressive power. In this case,   power is actively asserted and easily identified.  Either way, critical discourse analysis would   allow you to investigate the use of language  in context to better understand power and its   dynamics. So to recap discourse analysis can be  undertaken using either a language-in-use approach   where you are focused on the technicalities of  language or a socio-political approach where you   are interested in the use of language to express  normalised or repressive power and its dynamics. Now that we have a clearer view of the different  approaches available within discourse analysis   it will be useful to discuss the strengths and  weaknesses of this analysis method so that you can   make the right choices for your research project.  One of the main strengths of discourse analysis   is the range of different types of information  that it can incorporate. This includes speech   transcripts, written records, interview responses  as well as non-text-based data types like audio   recordings. This versatility allows you to develop  a rich data set by using a variety of sources   which means you will have a broader substantiation  of your analyses and findings. Another benefit is   that almost by definition discourse analysis  highlights the nuances and contextualising   factors of your data meaning your analyses and  findings can have real-world implications for your   research area. Additionally, discourse analysis  can provide insight into how language is used   to construct social reality and how it reflects  social hierarchies, power dynamics and ideologies.   All that said just like all analysis methods  discourse analysis has its weaknesses and it   is important that you understand these so that  you can make the right decision for your project.   First, there is the problem of interpretive  expertise. Since discourse analysis focuses   on investigating language it relies on the  researcher’s familiarity with the language   understudy. In other words, if you are going  to analyse the use and manipulation of language   to affect or change meaning it is essential  that you have a strong understanding of that   language. This can even be true even within one  language since the same English words can mean   very different things in different countries.  Also if your data includes information that   has been translated or edited there is a risk  that the meaning will quite literally be lost   in translation. The second weakness of discourse  analysis is the related issue of reliability or   the subjectivity of how your data is interpreted.  Since discourse analysis relies almost entirely on   the researcher’s interpretation of the data, the  findings and the conclusions it will not always   be empirically verifiable. Of course, discourse  analysis is not meant to be perfectly objective   given its focus on meaning but it is important  to make sure that your project’s aims, objectives   and questions, allow room for interpretation if  you plan to use this method. Last but not least   it is important to recognise that discourse  analysis can be very time-consuming. Although   this type of analysis could be conducted by a  team of researchers organising and maintaining   interpretive consistency it can get tricky. So if  you are considering using discourse analysis make   sure that you have factored in sufficient time  to really dig into the data deeply. Qualitative   analysis of any sort almost always takes a little  longer than you expect. If you are enjoying this   video so far please help us out by hitting that  like button. You can also subscribe for loads   of plain language actionable advice. If you are  new to research check out our free dissertation   writing course which covers everything you need  to get started on your research project. As always   the links are in the description. Okay, so now  that we have covered the strengths and weaknesses   of discourse analysis it is important to discuss  the question of when? In other words when exactly   would discourse analysis be appropriate and when  would it not be? As a qualitative method focused   on analysing language in context to derive meaning  discourse analysis is usually most appropriate for   research topics that are focused on social,  political or cultural phenomena and how they   change across communicative contexts. For example,  research aimed at evaluating changes in social   attitudes to poverty might look at political  speeches or newspaper articles to identify   nuances in the use and manipulation of language  around welfare, homelessness and unemployment.   Specifically, a language in use or socio-political  approach to discourse analysis could then be used   to investigate the technicalities of the language  used in these cases or the power dynamics that   the language reflects. On the other hand, if  your research is more narrowly focused and   is not concerned with analysing the meaning of  language use then discourse analysis would be   less relevant. For example, if your research  involves evaluating consumer responses to a   new product or determining management methods  for employee professional development those   research aims might be better suited to a more  focused and verifiable analysis method such as   thematic analysis. If you would like to learn  more about alternative analysis methods such   as thematic analysis, content analysis or  narrative analysis we have got a wealth of   free information over on the Grad Coach blog. We  will include the link to that below this video.  All right that was a lot. Let us do a quick  recap. Discourse analysis is a qualitative   analysis method focused on meaning as derived  from the analysis of language in context. As we   explained there are two approaches to discourse  analysis. The language and use approach where the   focus is on the technicalities of how language  is used and the socio-political approach where   the focus is on the normalised or repressive  power dynamics reflected in language. Just like   all analysis methods discourse analysis has  a particular set of strengths and weaknesses.   Based on those discourse analysis is generally  most appropriate for research that is focused   on interpreting meaning as expressed in the  use and manipulation of language in context. If you got value from this video please hit  that like button to help more students find   this content. For more videos like this check  out the Grad Coach channel and subscribe for   more plain language, actionable research tips  and advice every week. Also if you are looking   for one-on-one support with your dissertation your  thesis or your research project be sure to check   out our private coaching service where we hold  your hand throughout the research process step   by step. You can learn more about that and book  a free initial consultation at gradcoach.com.