Social Power in Discourse: Qualitative Data Analysis Methods for Equity Research in Education

What is it about?

This article proposes a critical qualitative data analysis method, to help researchers push further in (1) explaining the social world as we experience it, and (2) accounting for the ways racialized and economic social power shapes communication, including policy debates, in the US. The data analysis methods and examples detailed in the article are particularly relevant to research on race and equity in education.

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Photo by Peter Lawrence on Unsplash

Photo by Peter Lawrence on Unsplash

Why is it important?

We need to have qualitative data analysis methods that can help us unearth the dynamics through which racist ideologies and other forms of social power and privilege make their way into public debates. It is important to understand how these dynamics work because they make a difference in terms of whose voices are heard and which ideas gain prominence.