M19 206 individual work theme: The Status of Discourse Analysis Supervisor: Prof. Azad Mammadostrreplu- 2020

Conclusion

Discourse analysis is an effective method to approach a wide range of research questions in health care and the health professions. What underpins all variants of discourse analysis is the idea of examining segments, or frames of communication, and using this to understand meaning at a “meta” level, rather than simply at the level of actual semantic meaning. In this way, all of the various methods of discourse analysis provide rigorous and powerful approaches to understanding complex phenomena, ranging from the nature of on-the-ground human communication to the inner workings of systems of power that construct what is “true” about health and health care. While these methods are gaining popularity, much remains to be done to develop a widespread appreciationforthe use,funding, and publication of discourse analyses. As a start, we hope this article will help readers who encounter these approaches to understand the basic premises of discourse analysis. Box 2 offers further reading for those interested in learning more or undertaking discourse analytical research.

References

1. 
   Van Dijk, T. A. (1980). Macrostructures: An Interdisciplinary Study of Global Structures in Discourse, Interaction, and Cognition. Hillsdale, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates
   
2. 
   Brown, G., & Yule, G. (1983). Discourse analysis. Cambridge University Press.
   
3. 
   McCarthy, M. (1991). Discourse analysis for language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
   
4. 
   Nunan, D. (1993). Introducing discourse analysis. Penguin Books.
   
5. 
   Wodak, R. (Ed.). (1997). Gender and Discourse. London Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.
   
6. 
   Schiffrin, D., Tannen, D., & Hamilton, H. E. (Eds.). (2001). The Handbook of Discourse Analysis. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishers.