Discourse

Discourse analysis is the name given to a variety of approaches that take language and social constructions as their object of study. Discourse analysis involves identifying patterns in discourse, being able to highlight recurrent themes or ideas or tropes—particularly when looking across a corpus of data—whether this is in newspapers or interviews. This chapter provides a brief intellectual history of discourse analysis, situating it in relation to other methodologies in media studies and examines a range of different approaches to analyzing discourse and outlines their key terms and concepts. It discusses one particular approach to discourse analysis used in a variety of types of research, including studies of media organizations, analyses of media texts, and interview-based audience research. The chapter focuses on one case study, analyzing sex and relationships advice in women's magazines and discusses the challenges and dilemmas of using this approach in media and communications research.