Discourse Analysis

The concept of discourse in simple terms refers to written and spoken communication between people that goes beyond a single sentence. In humanities and social sciences, the term discourse describes a formal way of thinking that can be expressed through language. Discourse is ‘a group of ideas or patterned way of thinking which can be identified in textual and verbal communications. The philosopher of history Michael Stanford, in his A Companion to the Study of History defines ‘history as discourse’.

Discourse analysis is a research method for studying written and spoken language in relation to its social context. It also analyses how meanings are established, used, challenged, and changed in written and oral communications. It is an interpretive method of analyzing textual and verbal communication. Discourse analysis is commonly understood as the analysis of the interrelationships between language, power, and society. It is also called critical discourse analysis.

Discourse analysis aims to understand:

ü  How language functions

ü  How language is used in real-life situations

ü  How language use relates to its social, political, and historical context

ü  How meaning is constructed in different contexts

ü  How people communicate in a specific context

ü  How values, beliefs, and assumptions are communicated

ü  How communication is used to achieve social goals

Steps in Discourse Analysis

There are many different approaches and techniques to conduct discourse analysis. A general structure is given below:

         1         Begin with a clearly defined research question

         2         Select a range of material that is appropriate to answer the research question

         3         Establish the social and historical context in which the material was produced

         4         Thoroughly examine the content of the material for themes and patterns

         5         Examine the function and meaning of the language used to convey the themes or patterns

         6         Draw conclusions

Michel Foucault and Discourse Analysis

Michel Foucault is one of the most influential postmodern thinkers, who made popular contributions to the analysis of the knowledge-power relationship. His major works consist of:

ü  History of Madness and Civilization;

ü  The Order of Things;

ü  Archaeology of Knowledge;

ü  Discipline and Punish; and

ü  History of Modern Sexuality

Foucault's work gave the terms 'discursive practices' and 'discursive formation' to the analysis of particular institutions and their ways of establishing orders of truth in a given society. Through his various case studies, Foucault analyzed modern institutions and their ways of establishing orders of truth. He proved that power, knowledge, and truth are interconnected. He examined the discourses of madness, clinic, sexuality, and punishment from the perspective of the power-knowledge relationship. Through this he analysed the way in which discourse distinguishes between legal and illegal killing; or between proper and improper sexual conduct; or between the sane and the insane, the normal and the abnormal.

Foucault considered that the meaning of language is conditioned by social structure, culture, and discourses. Language is related to knowledge in various ways. Language, therefore, is the primary object studied by discourse theory. Discourse analysis emphasizes analysis of the power in-built into social relations. He considered that:

§  By shaping our perceptions, discourse generates the world of our everyday life

§  Discourse generates all forms of knowledge and truth.

§  By analysing the discourse, one can find the speaker’s identity.

§  Power and knowledge are inter-related

§  Power is always present and can both produce and constrain the truth.

§  Discourse affects the person's perspective and it is impossible to avoid discourse.

Foucault’s discourse analysis can be used to explore the power-knowledge-truth relations through the language and its various structures.  It helps to understand the way in which societies organize knowledge and truth. Thus, discourse analysis is about the people and their social worlds.