Critical discourse analysis

Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is an approach to the study of discourse that views language as a form of social practice. CDA combines critique of discourse with an explanation of how it figures in and contributes to the existing social reality, as a basis for action to change the social reality in various respects. Scholars working in the tradition of CDA generally argue that (non-linguistic) social practice and linguistic practice shape one another and focus on investigating how societal power relations are established and reinforced through language use.