Foucauldian Discourse Research Articles

The problem of toleration: Tacitus, Foucault and governmentality

ABSTRACT This article proposes a novel interpretation of Montaigne’s and Bayle’s comments on Tacitus. My contention is that their Tacitism is a Foucauldian discourse on toleration. Toleration is an example of governmentality, a strategy to govern a population, not a genuine call for religious diversity. This novel reading applies to Michel de Montaigne’s Essays and Pierre Bayle’s Various Thoughts on the Occasion of a Comet and his Historical and Critical Dictionary. Montaigne’s essay On the Useful and the Honourable, he shows that there is a difference between his public and private persona. The author discusses ideas of toleration in a Tacitist style. This happens in his essay Something Lacking in Our Civil Administrations, where the author laments the death of Sebastian Castalio and, indirectly, he supports his commitment to religious pluralism. As I will show, Montaigne embraces a Gallican belief system, which is more conciliatory Bayle a century later, discusses the same issues. In his Various Thoughts, he makes a case for toleration as a tool to manage a population. Ultimately, it will be clear how this plea for toleration is not a product of the Enlightenment, but it is rather a discourse to achieve societal compliance.

Beyond redemption: A critical analysis of The Sun’s construction of prisons and prisoners through the lens of social representations theory

Whilst there is some research into the media’s coverage of the British penal system, little is conducted through the lens of social psychology. This study employs social representations theory in order to examine British tabloid newspaper The Sun’s contribution to the public understanding of prisons and prisoners from a psychological perspective. The data consists of 34 articles published within the month of March 2017 which were analysed using a modified version of Foucauldian discourse analysis. It was found that The Sun’s coverage of the penal system contributed to a construction of prisons as both out of control and as providing prisoners with an easy life, and a construction of prisoners as both inherently dangerous and undeserving. These constructions contribute to a social representation of prisoners as ‘beyond redemption’. The implications of these findings are considered in light of the subject positions offered and the opportunities for action provided.

Trading crime for culture? Activating territorial stigma through cultural regeneration in Paisley

ABSTRACT Discourses of cultural regeneration have proliferated in recent years. Culture, it is argued, provides a means of revitalizing the social, physical and economic fortunes of towns and cities facing myriad challenges in the post-industrial epoch. Aside from the associated economic value attached, it is often assumed that cultural regeneration can improve the reputation of stigmatized places by harnessing positive media representations. However, the ability to challenge stigmatizing discourse sits in contrast to research which implicates media representations of violence, crime and post-industrial decline in the (re)production of territorial stigma. Drawing on Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA), this paper explores this tension in the context of the Scottish town of Paisley. Interview data, online workshops and newspaper representations are utilized to explore how “stigmatizing” discourses of Paisley as blighted by illicit drug use, violent crime and (sub)urban decline are invoked to legitimise cultural regeneration strategies to challenge the town’s negative reputation. This underlines the political utility of territorial stigma in producing a reputation gap whereby cultural regeneration provides an opportunity for the local state to juxtapose visions of a “regenerated”, gentrified Paisley with stigmatizing discourses of post-industrial decay.

Digging The ‘Dirt’: Roots and Routes of Stigma

Historically, Dalit identity is associated with different stereotypical notions. In this article, we have attempted to explore the underlying factors behind the stigma associated with them from the micro perspective in a small Muslim-dominated context of Bangladesh based on a series of intensive fieldwork. It reveals that Dalit cleaners are widely considered impure, dirty, strange, chaotic, alcoholic, and inferior. We combined two theoretical perspectives to interpret the matter systematically: Douglas’s notion of purity and pollution and Foucauldian discourse. The apparent reasons for the stigma associated with Dalit cleaners at Bhairab are association with ‘Dirty jobs, pig rearing, pork consumption, liquor consumption, and business. However, the empirical pieces of evidence show that different historical, religious, and socio-political factors (such as ideological domination of Hindu scriptures, the intervention of British colonialism, and the negative role of media and local influential businessmen) contribute significantly to the stigma.

Fathering Identities and Men’s Engagement With Flexible Working Arrangements

This research examines how fathering identities and normative gendered expectations shape the way men engage with a broad range of flexible working arrangements (FWAs). Forty-three heterosexual white-collar Australian fathers participated in this qualitative research, involving one-to-one semi structured interviews which were discursively analysed using Foucauldian Discourse Analysis. Three fathering identities emerged from the data: “The Present and Visible Father”, “The Involved and Competent Father”, and “The Father as Helper.” The findings demonstrate that fathering identities have a profound impact on men’s flexible working practices, that fathering identity is fluid and complex, and that a tension still exists between the expectations surrounding involved fathering, persistent traditional fathering norms, and the material reality of men’s work practices.

How do research participants with age-related vision loss talk about their experiences? A secondary discourse analysis of published qualitative extracts

Abstract Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a chronic, progressive eye condition that can affect individuals in later life and lead to loss of central visual function. In this analysis, we aimed to explore the discursive landscape of talk about AMD, drawing on extracts published in peer-reviewed qualitative studies on AMD. Drawing on procedures of qualitative meta-synthesis, we compiled a corpus of raw data extracts from 25 qualitative studies on AMD published in English, largely carried out in high-income countries. Extracts were analysed to identify dominant discourses and key interpretative repertoires (such as recurring metaphors, tropes and figures of speech). We adopted a Foucauldian discourse analytic approach, to consider the implications of dominant discourses, and their associated subject positions, for the subjective experience of living with AMD. Our analysis identified five distinct ways in which AMD was constructed in research participants' talk about experiences of AMD. They included: AMD as a mysterious affliction, linked to biological ageing; AMD as a total loss of independence; AMD as grievous loss; AMD as a condition to be stoically accepted; and – to a more limited extent – AMD as an opportunity for discovery. Drawing on theory from critical disability studies and gerontology, we suggest that the constructions identified are underpinned by broader societal discourses which construct ageing and disability in largely negative, medicalised and individualistic terms. Taking up subject positions within such discourses may compound feelings of isolation, hopelessness and powerlessness. We suggest there may be value in exploring talk about experiences of living with AMD within a broader range of everyday social, relational and environmental contexts.

Blossoming From the Mud: Learnings About Compassion From 2SLGBTQ+ Canadians for Queer Subversion and Socio-Cultural Transformations

Individuals who identify as Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (2SLGBTQ+) frequently encounter discrimination, stigma, harassment, and violence. Despite the prevailing influences of cis-heteronormative narratives, 2SLGBTQ+ individuals often encounter support, love, kindness, acceptance, and compassion in their everyday lives. The aim of the research was to explore how compassion can be a catalyst for societal change. Through three theoretical lenses: post-structuralism, queer theory, and Buddhism, we explored the beliefs, values, and experiences surrounding compassion for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals navigating a cis-heteronormative societal landscape. Eligibility criteria for participants included being 19 years or older, residing in Canada, self-identifying as 2SLGBTQ+, and possessing an interest in discussing compassion. Twenty individuals consented to participate in semi-structured interviews that were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Participants were asked about their understanding of compassion, its significance in their lives, and their practices related to it. They were prompted to recall moments when they received compassion and instances when they expressed compassion toward others. Transcripts were analyzed using Foucauldian discourse analysis. Three major themes arose: (1) (un)learning compassion through chosen families and queer mentorship; (2) pursuing queer lines of flight through generative compassion; and (3) creating queer futures through acts of (self-) compassion. Cultural and social constructs often position compassion and pain as intertwined and fundamental facets to the human experience. We situate both compulsory and generative forms of compassion within an organizing metaphor of “boundless radiance,” the dynamic movements of compassion toward an ever-widening field of becoming that cultivates the way of the open heart.

Heteronormative discourse: Therapist social constructions of intimate partner violence in queer relationships

Researchers have suggested the victim/perpetrator paradigm for understanding intimate partner violence (IPV) is limited when considering queer relationships. Instead, some propose a poststructural feminist approach as better suited for understanding the complexities involved. However, in the UK, this approach is rarely adopted. We therefore put a poststructural feminist approach to research into practice. Despite IPV occurring in queer relationships at similar or higher levels compared to heterosexual relationships, queer individuals rarely use mainstream IPV services, owing to real and perceived barriers, and access local therapy services instead. However, outside of queer-specific services in city-centre areas, there is little knowledge of the approaches used or the outcomes achieved by these therapeutic services. Our research contributes to addressing this knowledge gap. We investigate how therapists make sense of IPV in queer relationships, conducting five semistructured interviews with therapists working in small-town/rural settings in Southwest England. Despite claims of inclusivity and liberal humanist values, our Foucauldian discourse analysis highlights the dominance of a heteronormative discourse in the therapists’ accounts, and shows how heterosexual privilege is embedded in a range of discourses deployed. In light of these findings, we explore implications for practice and areas for future research in this underresearched area.

Immigrational Exclusion in the West and Exile Culture in Africa: Exploring Parallels and Biopower Dynamics

This study shows how political and ethnic elites employ their power to impose societal standards through exclusion practices like deportation and exile culture. The research also serves as a further illustration of Foucault's concept of bio-power being manifested. In this study, social exclusion from indigenous African societies and contemporary Western nations is investigated from a historical, social, and cultural standpoint. The study is built around Michael Foucault’s concept of biopower, and it employs discourse analysis as a methodology with an emphasis on Foucauldian discourse analysis. More so, the study incorporates the examination of African exile traditions and contemporary deportation from the Nollywood perspective. Hence, two Nollywood films, Anchor Baby ‘2010’ and Arodan ‘2023’, whose themes resonate with the study’s objectives, were selected. The study found out that whether it is the State exercising its power to regulate immigration or traditional leaders demonstrating their authority over their communities to maintain social order, deportation and exile are tools through which biopower is exerted. It recommends that effective policy communication is essential for addressing the utilization of this biopower and reducing racial or national prejudice, especially in deportation operations. The study contends that the inaccurate depiction and improper use of biopower strategies can result in profound psychological effects for the impacted individuals. It further recommends that it is imperative for authorities to give high importance to effective policy communication and actively take measures to reduce possible adverse outcomes. Ensuring that immigrants are given the confidence that deportation decisions are based on legitimate justifications, such as public or national security, is of utmost importance.

A Foucauldian Discourse Analysis of the construction of people of colour (POC) as criminals in UK and US print media following the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests

ABSTRACT Around 2,000 “thugs” were present and over 150 arrests were made in London during protests around the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in 2020. Publicly available data, e.g., newspapers and blog posts, were used to conduct a Foucauldian Discourse Analysis in this study. Language was conceptualised and constructed to depict POC as more prone to adopting aggressive means; findings indicated an inherent belief that ethnic minorities possess a predisposition to criminality. Rhetorical constructions in the reviewed articles indicate practical implications, including the emergence of “fake news”, but hopes to influence UK and US policy evaluations on print media.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard: How Language and Societal Influences Shape Power and Discourses

The current paper aims to analyze the case of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s claims of domestic abuse, in the context of Foucault’s concepts of a socially constructed society, power, subject positions and discourses. Foucauldian Discourse Analysis goes against the westernized concept of structures such as gender, sexuality morality and norm, as it disregards the notion that these concepts are immutable and mainly biological, and suggests that society is fluid, placing the wider sociocultural and historical context of a society as the basic foundations of creating discourses, placing individual concepts and groups in hierarchies, with knowledge and power granting access to higher places in the societal hierarchy and therefore facilitating the production of discourses. In light of that, the introduction includes three qualitative studies that depict the fluidity of gender concepts regarding domestic abuse, and analyzing in the analysis section the power dynamics, subject positions and discourses created regarding the two actors, based on theoretical background around FDA analysis and social constructionism, qualitative studies, as well as recordings of the live trial in 2022 and two articles out of the four that were chosen, analyzing themes of gender differences, court environment and the media. The use of 6 analytic tools were used in order to identify the discourses, as well as explain the social constructionist perspective around gender and language. Keywords: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, FDA, Gender, Discourse, Social constructionism

Depictions of “mental illness” in Greek criminal court rulings: Α discourse analysis

The present study investigates the constructions of people diagnosed with “mental illness” in Greek criminal court rulings. A Foucauldian discourse analysis approach was applied to criminal court rulings published from 2009 to 2018 to identify dominant discursive resources used to construct “mental illness”, as well as the functions performed by judicial discourse through the specific depictions of perpetrators and their crimes. Two main constructs emerged from the analysis. When constructing the unimputable “dangerous mental patient”, an intersection of biomedical and dangerousness discourses depicts the person as unpredictable, incapable of self-awareness, self-determination, and moral judgment. In the imputable “criminal personality” construction, the impact of “mental illness” on the committed crimes is relativized, since the criminal act is attributed to psychological characteristics of the individual, who is portrayed as deliberately violating the rules of socially acceptable behavior despite being capable of rational thinking and moral reasoning. The central issues that emerged include the pre-constructed categorization of the perpetrators into imputable or non-imputable, according to the determined degree of moral agency, and the selective utilization of biomedical discourse by the court, whereby it evaluates psychiatric expertise sometimes as objective evidence and others as unreliable opinion.

“It’s beautiful and it’s messy and it’s tragic”: exploring the role of compassion in the eating disorder recovery processes of 2S/LGBTQ + Canadians

This research explores experiences of compassion among 2S/LGBTQ + Canadians living with eating disorders in the context of eating disorder treatment and community support. There is a growing body of scholarship showing disparities in eating disorder care for those within 2S/LGBTQ + communities. Among the reported concerns is a potential lack of compassion in eating disorder treatment and recovery settings, something which may serve to exacerbate feelings of isolation and perpetuate misunderstandings of 2S/LGBTQ + people’s experiences. In an effort to understand these dynamics more deeply, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 2S/LGBTQ + Canadians who have experienced eating disorder care. The data collected were then subjected to Foucauldian discourse analysis, which produced three interconnected discursive considerations: feeling lack of structural compassion, 2S/LGBTQ + communities as places of respite, and 2S/LGBTQ + caregiving. One of the common threads among these discursive considerations was cis-heteronormativity ingrained in eating disorder treatment settings and health care systems more broadly. Our findings underscore the critical need for more enhanced compassion for 2S/LGBTQ + patients in eating disorder care settings. We conclude that compassion, when implemented on the levels of individual clinicians, policy and procedure, and institutions, may represent an avenue toward disrupting ingrained cis-heteronormativity and the associated discursive power structures contained in health care systems.

A metamorphosis of sorts: Conceptualising women’s academic identities in Australian academia

While comprising 50% of early-career academics, women’s representation dwindles to a mere 20% in senior roles, with this disparity attributed to gendered dynamics and institutional complexities. The oversimplification of women’s experiences, as well as the intricate formation of academic identities, entangled with societal expectations and caregiving responsibilities, necessitated a nuanced exploration across career stages. Employing Foucauldian Discourse Analysis through Interpretivism, this research engaged early, middle, and later-career women academics, unveiling the dynamic evolution of identities influenced by discourse, power dynamics, and societal forces. Noteworthy positional developments underscored challenges faced at specific career junctures, emphasising the imperative for nuanced navigation within academic settings. Future research should delve into evolving identities, societal discourses, and collaborative resistance strategies, contributing to inclusive policies, and reshaping higher education environments. This study serves as a guiding beacon, promoting practices fostering diversity, equity, and unwavering support in academia’s transformative journey.

Hearing voices, but whose? Constructions of schizophrenia in introductory psychology textbooks

Introductory psychology courses have a broad reach; their textbooks are instrumental in disseminating information about mental distress. In this study, we present the theoretical implications of a Foucauldian discourse analysis of constructions of schizophrenia in six introductory psychology textbooks assigned in Aotearoa/New Zealand and Australia. We identify three interconnected discursive constructions within the textbooks: object-for-study, social problem, and unrecoverable illness. These constructions converge to position people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (PWDS) as sites for biomedical intervention and generate biomedical treatment as necessary but non-curative. Notably, the voices of PWDS are absent from the texts. We contend that amplifying counter discourses and the voices of PWDS is essential to provide the context, meaning, and hope that is missing from these textbooks, and broader society. We work with Mad Studies to present potential ways of theorising otherwise around these experiences—and leveraging this theory in textbook writing.

Examining academic freedom within WB and UNESCO discourses on higher education: A Foucauldian discourse analysis

Academic freedom constitutes an integral part of traditional university values that ensure the proper functioning of universities in pursuing truth and inculcating civic values. In a globalized world where Higher Education (HE) policy is the result of the interaction of local, national, and international levels, the positions of international organizations on questions of academic freedoms deem significant. Within global discourses on HE, literature contrasts the World Bank’s human capitalist to UNESCO’s humanistic approach. Through Foucauldian Discourse Analysis of both organizations’ documents, the paper presented a genealogical analysis of academic freedom that challenged the existence of static, opposite, and binary positions. Transformations, ruptures, juxtapositions as well as gaps, limits, and exclusions were detected within and across International Organizations’ discourses. Juxtaposition of economic and humanistic rationales as well as academic freedom protection and neoliberal policy interventions have muted discursive conflicts and inherent contradictions. The failure of UNESCO to address contemporary threats to academic freedom emerged from the appearance of neoliberal transnational governmentality as an inevitable social regularity that delimits what can be said and cannot be said about academic freedom. Through coercive funding schemes and technologies of differentiation, surveillance, and monitoring, the WB created the space for such transnational governmentality, and placed faculty members under its gaze resulting in undermining academic freedoms and de-professionalization of academics.

Paradise Lost of Language Decoding Li Guo-Hua's Linguistic Manipulation in Fang Si-Chis First Love Paradise with the Foucauldian Discourse

This study investigates the power dynamics in Fang Si-Chi's First Love Paradise, a work by the late Taiwanese author Lin Yi-Han, using the Foucauldian Discourse Analysis method. Specifically, it focuses on the linguistic interactions between the main characters to uncover the power structures at play. The analysis reveals that Li Guo-Hua's manipulation of language, within the context of classic Chinese literature, plays a pivotal role in establishing and perpetuating his power. Throughout the narrative, Li Guo-Hua subjects Fang Si-Chi to prolonged sexual and psychological abuse, thereby creating a power dynamic characteristic of Foucauldian discourse. He positions himself as her teacher, exerting control through the distortion of truthful knowledge, linguistic manipulation, and the denial of Fang's agency. This research sheds light on how power can be intricately woven into language and discourse, enabling the exploitation of individuals within intimate relationships. The findings underscore the importance of critically examining linguistic power dynamics in literary works, as they reflect broader societal constructs and behaviors.

Gift, purchase or mask diplomacy? Hesitant reception of China’s face masks during the first COVID-19 wave in Czech public discourse

ABSTRACT What occurs when a purchase is labelled as a gift by the supplier? This paper aims to unveil the dynamics of power relations enveloping gift exchange and monetary transactions in modern economies. It examines the public media discourse around the presentation and reception of surgical face masks from The People’s Republic of China, described as a paid-for gift, during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Using Foucauldian Discourse Analysis of dominant online media in the Czech Republic, the article illustrates the public’s understanding of the implicit meanings and commitments associated with a gift. It also explores the enduring sensitivity to economic relationships formed through gift exchange between two modern societies. The interplay of the spirit of the gift, mask diplomacy, pastoral care, and the varying acceptance or resistance to these concepts are central to our analysis. Furthermore, the paper delves into the strategies used by recipients to resist such influences, both internationally and in personal resistance against domestic governance.

LGBTQ+ activism in Azerbaijan: shifting queer (in)visibility regime through power–knowledge technologies

ABSTRACT The queer (in)visibility regime in Azerbaijan has been historically structured through centralizing powers and the coloniality of knowledge(s) in their Russian/Soviet and contemporary Western manifestations. Using Foucauldian discourse analysis, this study shows how local queer activism arises through the appropriation of Western LGBTQ+ discourse and the use of the internet, with its novel spaces and digitally mediated discursive practices. In addition to its humanizing and normalizing effects, these organizations generate a new space for the realization of homosexual desire against the old Soviet subjectivity while preserving their didactic enlightener position towards Western/European pedagogy. Finally, this study argues that homosexuality has become a means of boundary-making practices both inside and outside the country, positioning on the borderline between symbolic Europe and national characteristics.

Que “Macho” é Esse?: “Anormalização”de Subjetividades em Videoclipes de Bregafunk

Abstract The entertainment industry is featured by discursive productions of ideological nature. Accordingly, different music genres work as identity vectors; thus, it is possible perceiving the representation of male individuals as the dominant gender in some of them. Bregafunk music stands out among these genres, since its music videos highlight straight and virile men, by showing women, LGBTQIAPN+ individuals and fat bodies in a stigmatized way. Based on the Foucauldian theory, the current study addresses the subjectivity “abnormalization” process carried out by another socially dominant subjectivity as way to defend and maintain its position. In order to do so, the current research presents the following investigative question: how do bregafunk music video productions represent alterities to male subjectivity? In total, 777 bregafunk music videos posted on YouTube between September 2012 and September 2020 were herein investigated, based on the foucauldian discourse analysis, in order to answer this question. Results have evidenced the dominant discourse of “male bregafunk music artists”, which is anchored in a strategy focused on perpetuating stereotypes and chauvinism. Thus, it was possible concluding that this subjectivity is a variation of the alpha male, who resorts to his cultural repertoire and social context to consolidate himself as the dominant identity by subjugating other identities through a double move comprising self-affirmation and denial of others. In addition, it was possible inferring that targeting women, LGBTQIAPN+ and fat individuals may be a defense strategy to address the growing political space gained by these identities in recent decades.