Discourse Analysis in Qualitative Research | Delve

Summary

This video explores discourse analysis, a qualitative research field that examines how language shapes behavior, beliefs, and social interactions within specific contexts. It covers different approaches such as narrative, conversational, critical discourse, and rhetorical analysis, highlighting how language constructs identity, power, and social reality. The video also explains the steps in discourse analysis, including contextualizing data, examining structure, and analyzing discursive statements. It introduces key lenses like subject, intonation, and the 'doing not saying' lens. The video provides a comprehensive introduction to understanding language's role in society.

Takeaways

• 😀 Discourse analysis is a field of qualitative research that examines how language shapes behavior, beliefs, and social interactions.
• 😀 Language is always used within a specific context, and discourse analysis focuses on how language adapts to different contexts and perspectives.
• 😀 Discourse analysis can help us understand how language constructs identity, influences power, maintains reality, and promotes social change.
• 😀 Key questions in discourse analysis include how language constructs identity, influences power, creates reality, and shapes worldviews.
• 😀 There are different approaches to discourse analysis, including narrative analysis, conversational analysis, critical discourse analysis, and rhetorical analysis.
• 😀 Narrative analysis studies how stories, their structure, and content shape our worldview and social reality.
• 😀 Conversational analysis looks at daily conversations, focusing on elements like turn-taking, gaze, and body language to understand social goals.
• 😀 Critical discourse analysis explores how language constructs and sustains social inequalities, as well as how it can challenge oppression.
• 😀 Rhetorical analysis dissects how language persuades, informs, and entertains, using tools like metaphors and rhetorical questions to elicit emotional responses.
• 😀 Discourse analysis can be categorized into language-in-use approaches, which focus on the linguistic aspects, and socio-political approaches, which examine how language influences societal power dynamics.

Q & A

What is the main focus of discourse analysis?

Discourse analysis is focused on studying how language shapes our behavior, beliefs, and social interactions. It examines how language is used in different contexts and from various perspectives to construct meaning and influence social dynamics.

How does discourse analysis differ from general language studies?

Discourse analysis differs from general language studies by focusing on language within specific contexts. It emphasizes how language adapts depending on the situation, the people involved, and the social goals, whereas general language studies may focus more on structure or grammar in isolation.

Why is context important in discourse analysis?

Context is crucial in discourse analysis because language is always used within a particular context. Understanding the context allows analysts to interpret how words, body language, and other elements work together to construct meaning, influence relationships, and shape perceptions.

What are some key questions that discourse analysis seeks to answer?

Some key questions in discourse analysis include: How does language construct identity? How does language influence or negotiate power? How does language create and maintain reality? How do frames of reference affect language interpretation? And how can language promote social change?

What are the different types of discourse analysis mentioned in the script?

The different types of discourse analysis mentioned are narrative analysis, conversational analysis, critical discourse analysis, and rhetorical analysis. Each focuses on different aspects of language use, such as storytelling, social interaction, power dynamics, and persuasive strategies.

What is the focus of narrative analysis in discourse studies?

Narrative analysis focuses on how stories, their structure, and content shape our worldview. It explores how narratives are told in different cultures and what they reveal about identity, values, and power.

How does conversational analysis contribute to understanding language use?

Conversational analysis explores daily conversations, examining elements like turn-taking, gaze, and body language. It helps understand how these details contribute to social goals like building relationships or managing conflict.

What role does critical discourse analysis play in examining language?

Critical discourse analysis looks at how language is used to construct and maintain social inequalities. It also examines how language can be used to challenge or resist social oppression, such as the divisive language used by politicians during campaigns.

How does rhetorical analysis differ from other approaches in discourse analysis?

Rhetorical analysis dissects how language persuades, informs, or entertains. It looks at the speaker's intent, the audience, and strategies used, including rhetorical devices like metaphors and rhetorical questions, to influence emotions and beliefs.

What are the two broad categories of discourse analysis?

Discourse analysis is divided into two broad categories: Language-in-use approaches, which focus on linguistic aspects like grammar, syntax, and structure, and socio-political approaches, which explore how language constructs and sustains societal power dynamics.

Can different types of discourse analysis be combined for deeper insights?

Yes, different types of discourse analysis can be combined to provide a more comprehensive understanding of language use. For example, narrative and critical discourse analysis might be used together to study how language constructs identity, while conversational and rhetorical analysis could explore power relations in social interactions.

What are the three main steps in discourse analysis as outlined in the script?

The three main steps in discourse analysis are: 1) Contextualizing the data, 2) Analyzing the structure of the text, and 3) Dissecting smaller pieces of data called discursive statements to understand how they contribute to meaning and power.

What is the role of James Gee's 28 lenses in discourse analysis?

James Gee's 28 lenses offer various perspectives for analyzing discourse. Three of these lenses include the subject lens, which explores why certain topics are chosen; the intonation lens, which looks at how pitch patterns influence meaning; and the doing not saying lens, which examines how language is used to persuade or inform.