Discourse analysis: an exploration of methodological issues and a call for methodological courage in the field of policy analysis

Abstract

In light of the frequent, yet often divergent, uses of the term ‘discourse analysis’ and the recurrent misunderstandings associated with it, this article seeks to clarify the central postulates of poststructuralist discourse theory and to raise critical methodological issues associated with it. More specifically, this article explores the usefulness of discourse theory for the analysis of policy (discourses) by way of discussing the conceptual relation between discourse and institutional practice. Reflecting on empirical research in the field of European food safety policy, the article calls for a broader methodological horizon and argues that those who engage in policy discourse analysis need not shy away from comparative approaches, but instead, should take advantage of the specific tools that discourse theory offers. In sum, this article seeks to contribute to a better understanding of discourse theory both as a theoretical program and a pool of methods, while encouraging those who identify with the term to respond to more recent methodological challenges, such as those resulting from processes of Europeanization.