An Introduction to Critical Discourse Analysis

Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) consists of a variety of analytical approaches that critically describe, interpret, and explain ideologies and power relations embedded in discourse. By discourse, we refer to language – both written and spoken – and various semiotic resources. Researchers who employ CDA view discourse as being both socially constitutive and socially shaped, and their analysis aims to both identify problematic power relations in discourse practices and intervene in such social activities. CDA has been used in fields as diverse as environmental science, media studies, and medical education to address questions regarding issues of social justice.