ABSTRACT
Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is committed to showing how talk and texts serve the interests of those with power in a society. From its initially European linguistic roots, CDA has become an influential international, interdisciplinary tradition. This chapter sketches CDA’s background including its theoretical roots and key scholars. Six areas in current research are illustrated, along with a sampling of CDA work around the world. The focal criticisms that have been directed at CDA scholarship are described. In closing, we suggest CDA’s potential in five areas of Communication (rhetoric, critical/cultural studies, mass communication, organizational communication, and language and social interaction) and provide an appendix of CDA vocabulary.
