Discourse Analysis: Inventory and Questions of Interest Deriving from a Thick Reading of Foucault

Abstract

Discourse analysis has been in use as a method of research in Germany for more than 20 years. Despite such long-term use, it still has many of the shortcomings it had at the beginning. Although discourse analysis is based upon the work of FOUCAULT, as it is practiced it loses the theoretical and philosophical import given to it by him. It appears that FOUCAULT's ideas concerning discourse analysis have been lost in German adaption of his work. In this contribution I will first assay contemporary variants of discourse analysis; second, answer four questions concerning how the practice of discourse analysis misconstrues FOUCAULT's work in this area; third, I will close by asking questions concerning methodology in general and invite critiques to my responses. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1003261

Keywords

• discourse analysis
• dispositive analysis
• Michel Foucault
• autonomy
• subject
• constructivism
• hermeneutics