Which approach in sociology analyzes how meaning is created in natural conversations?

The approach that analyzes how meaning is created in natural conversations is conversation analysis. This method focuses specifically on the details of talk in interaction, examining the structure, patterns, and organization of conversations. Conversation analysis looks at how participants in a conversation understand each other and make sense of their interactions, revealing the underlying social norms and rules that guide communication.

This method is particularly concerned with the sequential nature of conversation, including turn-taking, pauses, and cues that facilitate understanding. It enables researchers to explore the nuances of how people construct meanings through everyday dialogue, making it a valuable tool for understanding communication in various social contexts.

In contrast, content analysis involves a quantitative examination of text or communication for patterns or trends but does not delve into the intricacies of spoken interaction. Discourse analysis also looks at language and its social contexts, but it is broader and more focused on the relationship between language and power, ideology, or culture rather than on the moment-to-moment management of conversation. Grounded theory is a qualitative research method used to generate theory from data, focusing on iterative data collection and analysis rather than the specifics of conversation dynamics.