Critical Discourse Analysis
Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is a research enterprise which critically analyses the relation between language and society. More specifically, CDA is a type of discourse-analytical research that studies the way ideology, identity and inequality are (re)enacted through texts produced in social and political contexts (van Dijk 2001: 352). Language is seen as crucial in constructing and sustaining ideologies, which, in turn, are seen as important in establishing and maintaining social identities and inequalities (Wodak 2001: 10).
Fairclough and Wodak (1997: 271-80) summarise the central tenets of CDA as follows:
- CDA addresses social problems
- Power relations are discursive
- Discourse constitutes society and culture
- Discourse does ideological work
- Discourse is historical
- The link between text and society is mediated
- Discourse analysis is interpretative and explanatory
- Discourse is a form of social action
Some of the discourse domains and genres that CDA has traditionally targeted include racism, xenophobia and national identity (Reisigl and Wodak 2001; van Dijk 1987, 1991, 1993; Wodak 1996, 1999), gender identity and inequality (Cameron 1992; Koller 2008; Litosseliti and Sunderland 2002; Morrish 2007; Wodak 1997), media discourse (Bell 1991; Bell and Garrett 1998; Chilton 1988; Fairclough 1995; Fowler 1991; Fowler et al. 1979; Montgomery 2007; O'Keefe 2006; Richardson 2007; van Dijk 1988) and political discourse (Cap 2002; Chilton 2004; Chilton and Schäffner 2000; Wilson 1990).