Discourse Analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis

Discourse analysis can be thought of as a heterogeneous family of (mainly) qualitative, interdisciplinary research approaches concerned with studying the use of language. In most types of discourse analysis, researchers view language use as a form of social practice that influences the social world, and vice versa. However, just as the term “discourse” can be defined in multiple ways, so too can specific definitions of discourse analysis vary widely across disciplines and research traditions, thus leading to a spectrum of different approaches to conducting discourse analyses. This potential diversity can make the field of discourse analysis difficult to navigate for the first time. The challenge is exacerbated by the fact that many published works that use or are about discourse analysis neglect to explicitly state their underlying research orientations or methodologies. This entry attempts to provide an introduction to discourse analysis that distinguishes between multiple prominent theoretical understandings of, and approaches to, discourse analysis.