Critical Discourse Analysis: Principles and Applications

Summary

Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) examines how language is shaped by and in turn, shapes social power, ideology, and inequality. Rather than viewing language as neutral, CDA sees it as inherently political and embedded in social structures, prompting us to uncover the deeper values, biases, and assumptions that texts often carry. Scholars like Rogers emphasize that all discourse holds political weight. This approach goes beyond surface meaning to ask: Why is this said? Who benefits? What alternative perspectives are missing or silenced?

Practical studies illustrate this. For instance, Singapore’s “Speak Mandarin” campaign framed language not just as cultural heritage but as economic capital. Hutchby’s analysis of radio call-ins demonstrated how hosts maintain power through question design and turn-taking. Page and Stokoe showed media reinforcing gender norms, while Mallinson and Brewster examined how judgments about dialects reflect class and racial biases.

By linking texts to their social context, CDA reveals how ideologies operate through everyday communication from news headlines to casual conversation. Studies like those by Resende and Meadows highlight how bureaucratic language can obscure injustice, and how classroom discourse can subtly mold national identity. Ultimately, CDA helps uncover the quiet, systemic ways language shapes thought, social roles, and power.

Reflection

Before studying CDA, I rarely questioned the language around me. Now, I see power embedded everywhere in a news headline, a photo caption, even a single word. It’s no longer just about what is communicated, but about how it’s framed, who speaks, and what remains unsaid. What once felt like neutral or harmless phrasing now feels like a vehicle for quiet influence a subtle way that ideologies are transmitted, often without our full awareness.

I was particularly struck by how power can be exercised through what appears neutral or polite. Watching political interviews or classroom exchanges, I started noticing how control is managed: who gets to interrupt, whose turn is honored, how a “helpful” question can actually guide or limit a response. The anchor’s seemingly innocent “Do you really believe that?” isn’t just a question it’s a framing device.

One example that stayed with me was a popular Indian shampoo advertisement. On the surface, it felt progressive, showing a female boxer training hard, her strength celebrated both physically and emotionally. But as the ad concluded, her reward was framed in terms of beauty shiny hair, not just strength or skill. The empowerment felt conditional, tied to conventional ideals. CDA prompted me to ask: Who defines empowerment here? On what terms is it offered?

This approach has fundamentally shifted how I engage with the world. Now, whether reading a textbook, scrolling through social media, or listening to a speech, I find myself listening for the unspoken the loaded words, the subtle framing, the voices that aren’t in the room. CDA hasn't just sharpened my analytical skills; it’s made me a more conscious participant in the conversations that shape our lives.