Discourse Analysis
The study of how language in talk and text constructs meaning, identities, and power relations within a social context.
Discourse analysis examines how language is used in talk and text, treating language not as a neutral window on reality but as something that actively constructs meanings, identities, and social relations. Depending on the tradition, analysts may study conversational structure, rhetorical strategies, or how broader social discourses shape what can be said about a topic. The data can include interviews, media texts, policy documents, and everyday conversation.
For a thesis, discourse analysis is powerful when your question concerns how something is framed, legitimized, or contested rather than what people believe. It demands a clearly stated analytic tradition and detailed engagement with extracts, so plan for a methodology section that explains your specific approach and a findings chapter built around close readings of the text itself.
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