Discourse and discourse analysis

Given such a variety of potential meanings and applications, it is not surprising that people sometimes use the word discourse vaguely or confusedly. We shall concentrate on senses (3) and (4); for these are the most common senses in contemporary Literary and Cultural Studies. They may be summed up by the formula: Discourse = text in context = power in action. (Sense (2) will be invoked in so far as it encourages us to explore whole texts or interactions in detail.) The main issues can be framed as a series of questions to put to any text.