Introductory Chapter: Discourse and Discourse Analysis. A Retrospective Approach

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to highlight the theoretical frame of reference for the works included in this book. We intend to delimit the field of study for discourse analysis by highlighting the main theories and concepts that ensure its specificity. Interdisciplinary, which is the distinctive feature of discourse analysis, marks the evolution of research in this field that we are trying to capture in our proposed retrospective approach. The review of research that configures the domain of discourse analysis illustrates the latter relevance in deciphering the meaning of communication as an important qualitative research method in the field of communication sciences. This is, in fact, the orientation we propose to the Discourse Analysis book, since the studies that it contains reflect the usefulness of discourse analysis in determining the meaning in real-life communication situations.