discourse analysis

Discourse analysis is a general term for a number of approaches to analysing language use beyond the sentence or clause level. This can either be written or spoken texts. Discourse analysis originally developed from a variety of disciplines: sociolinguistics, anthropology, sociology, and social psychology. Each of the various approaches tend to be particularly influenced by one of these subjects, which bring their own presumptions and methodologies. Thus discourse analysis takes different theoretical perspectives and analytic approaches (among others):

Speech act theory
Interactional sociolinguistics
Ethnography of communication
Pragmatics
Conversation analysis, which is based on the theories of Harvey Sacks
Variation analysis
Discursive Psychology, particularly as developed by Jonathan Potter.

Although each approach emphasizes different aspects of language use, they all view language as social interaction.

Discourse Analysis

See also