Which method assumes that language cannot access reality and that meaning is socially constructed?

Discourse analysis is the method that posits that language cannot fully access reality and meaning is constructed socially. This approach focuses on how language is used in specific contexts to shape understanding and perception. Discourse analysis examines the ways in which conversations, texts, and communications reflect and create social norms, power structures, and identities. It emphasizes the fluidity of meaning, suggesting that interpretation is highly dependent on context and social interaction rather than a direct reflection of an objective reality.

In contrast, Jefferson transcription primarily concerns the methodical transcription of spoken dialogue to accurately capture nuances in conversation rather than addressing how language constructs meaning. Thematic analysis is a qualitative method focused on identifying themes within data, and while it does emphasize interpretation, it does not fundamentally contest the link between language and reality in the same way discourse analysis does. Symbolic interactionism, though it acknowledges the social construction of meaning, centers on social interactions and the symbols used within them, rather than the discourse itself, making its focus slightly different from the key tenets of discourse analysis.