14.3 Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)
3.1. Definition and Foundational Principles
Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is an interdisciplinary approach that critically examines how language reflects, reinforces, or challenges power imbalances, social hierarchies, and ideologies. It goes beyond surface meaning to uncover hidden ideological assumptions in communication. A core principle of CDA is that language isn't just a descriptive tool; it's a form of social practice.
"Critical" means CDA actively questions assumptions and reveals hidden power dynamics.
"Discourse" in CDA includes all communication: written, spoken, and even broader social practices like rituals and media, all of which carry cultural and ideological weight.
"Analysis" involves systematically examining language to uncover hidden agendas and power relations. CDA researchers aim to understand, expose, and resist social inequality, believing language is central to ideology and power struggles.
3.2. Major Theoretical Frameworks and Influential Scholars
CDA evolved from "critical linguistics" in the 1970s and draws from sociolinguistics, critical theory, and scholars like Karl Marx, Michel Foucault, and Pierre Bourdieu.
Key influential scholars and their contributions:
Michel Foucault: Argued language isn't neutral but actively shapes how power is exercised, focusing on broad historical and institutional power structures.
Norman Fairclough: A pivotal figure who introduced concepts like "discourse, power, ideology, social practice, and common sense." He emphasizes analyzing language as a social practice to uncover underlying ideologies.
Teun A. van Dijk: Integrates cognitive theories, viewing cognition as a "middle layer" between discourse and social structures. He explains how phenomena like racism are enacted through everyday discourse, emphasizing "mental models" and how powerful groups use language to control public discourse. His method includes textual, cognitive, social analysis, and critical reflection.
Ruth Wodak: Developed the Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA), which is problem-oriented and focuses on how discursive practices evolve within political and historical contexts. DHA is interdisciplinary, combining linguistic analysis with historical, political, and sociological insights, often applied to discriminatory discourses (e.g., racist, sexist). It uses concepts like interdiscursivity and intertextuality to reveal power relations.
3.3. Methodologies and Techniques
CDA analyzes language on two interconnected levels:
Micro-level: Examines specific linguistic choices, rhetorical devices, and text structure (e.g., contrasting vocabulary).
Macro-level: Looks at broader social and ideological forces influencing discourse (e.g., gender inequality, media bias, power structures).
A central goal of CDA is to bridge this micro-macro gap, showing how specific linguistic details contribute to and are shaped by larger societal structures.
Fairclough's Three-Dimensional Framework is a widely used approach:
Textual Analysis (Description): Close examination of linguistic features, rhetoric, and structure within the text itself (e.g., word choice, grammar, layout).
Discursive Practice (Interpretation): Explores how the text was produced and how different audiences might interpret it, considering social context and implicit biases.
Social Practice (Explanation): Connects the analysis to broader socio-historical conditions, understanding its role in social change or reinforcing power, and whose interests it serves.
Other techniques include thematic analysis, intertextuality, and interaction analysis.
A core concept is Power as Control, where dominant groups use discourse to maintain influence (e.g., controlling access to discourse, content, or turn-taking). CDA also incorporates Hegemony (Gramsci), explaining how dominant groups gain consent from subordinate groups through persuasive discourse that legitimizes their power.
3.4. Applications of Critical Discourse Analysis
CDA has broad applications across many social science disciplines:
Media Studies: Analyzes how media shapes public understanding and perpetuates inequalities (e.g., how immigration coverage can stereotype).
Political Science: Examines political rhetoric to reveal how language constructs ideologies and power relations (e.g., legitimizing policies that create inequality).
Education: Analyzes how language in education constructs social identities and power relations, potentially excluding certain groups.
Sociology & Psychology: Explores how language constructs and perpetuates social identities, power relations, and inequalities in everyday interactions and therapeutic settings.
A significant aspect of CDA is its function as a tool for social intervention and emancipation. CDA researchers explicitly aim to understand, expose, and resist social inequality. This "critical" aspect goes beyond academic scrutiny, driven by a commitment to social justice and transformation. By revealing how language enacts and reproduces inequality, CDA aims to disrupt hegemonic processes and empower marginalized groups to challenge dominant narratives, making it a powerful tool for addressing real-world social problems.