Difference between Discourse Analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis

1. DA AND CDA
Discourse Studies

2. Discourse Analysis:
Language in use and meaning construction:
Discourse Analysis is a broad term that refers to the
study of language in use, focusing on how language
constructs meaning, shapes social interactions, and
reflects societal norms and power structures.

3. Analyzing Different Text Types:
DA can be applied to various types of texts, such as
conversations, interviews, written documents, media
content, and more. The goal of DA is to understand
how language is employed to convey meaning,
represent reality, and create identities and social
relations.

4. Linguistic Features and Social Context:
DA can be descriptive or interpretive, and it often
involves analyzing linguistic features like vocabulary,
grammar, syntax, and conversational patterns.
Researchers in this field may explore themes, identify
speech acts, examine narrative structures, and
investigate the relationships between language and
social context.

5. Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA):
Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA):
Critical Discourse Analysis is a specific approach
within Discourse Analysis that goes beyond the
descriptive or interpretive analysis of language. CDA is
explicitly concerned with power dynamics, ideology,
and how language can be used to legitimize or
challenge social inequalities and dominant
discourses.

6. Application Areas of CDA
CDA aims to uncover hidden power structures and
ideologies embedded in language use, such as in
media representations, political speeches,
organizational communications, and other discursive
practices. Researchers using CDA often examine how
language can perpetuate social injustices, reinforce
stereotypes, or manipulate public opinion. They also
explore how language can be employed as a tool for
resistance, emancipation, and social change.

7. Relationship between DA and CDA
While Discourse Analysis is a broader field that studies
language in use, Critical Discourse Analysis is a more
specific and socially oriented approach that
investigates the role of language in reflecting and
shaping power relations and ideologies. Critical
Discourse Analysis is one of the many possible
analytical lenses within Discourse Analysis, but not all
Discourse Analysis studies are necessarily “critical” in
nature.