Being acquainted with discourse analysis. Types of discourse. What (Exactly) Is Discourse Analysis?

When should you use discourse analysis?
There are many ways to analyze qualitative data (such as content analysis, narrative analysis, and thematic analysis), so why should you choose discourse analysis? Well, as with all analysis methods, the nature of your research aims, objectives and research questions (i.e. the purpose of your research) will heavily influence the right choice of analysis method.
The purpose of discourse analysis is to investigate the functions of language (i.e., what language is used for) and how meaning is constructed in different contexts, which, to recap, include the social, cultural, political, and historical backgrounds of the discourse.
For example, if you were to study a politician’s speeches, you would need to situate these speeches in their context, which would involve looking at the politician’s background and views, the reasons for presenting the speech, the history or context of the audience, and the country’s social and political history (just to name a few – there are always multiple contextual factors).

Discourse analysis can also tell you a lot about power and power imbalances, including how this is developed and maintained, how this plays out in real life (for example, inequalities because of this power), and how language can be used to maintain it. For example, you could look at the way that someone with more power (for example, a CEO) speaks to someone with less power (for example, a lower-level employee).
Therefore, you may consider discourse analysis if you are researching:

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  Some form of power or inequality (for example, how affluent individuals interact with those who are less wealthy
  
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  How people communicate in a specific context (such as in a social situation with colleagues versus a board meeting)
  
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  Ideology and how ideas (such as values and beliefs) are shared using language (like in political speeches)
  
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  How communication is used to achieve social goals (such as maintaining a friendship or navigating conflict)
  

As you can see, discourse analysis can be a powerful tool for assessing social issues, as well as power and power imbalances. So, if your research aims and objectives are oriented around these types of issues, discourse analysis could be a good fit for you.