0
Perfect Stranger Posted 13 years ago
Vocabulary
Vocabulary question no. 26 - /discourse/ and Foucault's account of 'sex'
Good afternoon,
Can someone explain it to me what this passage says?
In Foucault's account, 'sex' is constructed by the discourses linked with various social practices and institutions: the way in which doctors, clergy, public officials, social workers, and even novelists treat phenomena they identify as sexual. But these discourses represent sex as something prior to the discourses themselves.
Naturally, I've looked up the word discourse but I don't understand the above-mentioned passage...
Can someone explain it to me what this passage says?
In Foucault's account, 'sex' is constructed by the discourses linked with various social practices and institutions: the way in which doctors, clergy, public officials, social workers, and even novelists treat phenomena they identify as sexual. But these discourses represent sex as something prior to the discourses themselves.
Naturally, I've looked up the word discourse but I don't understand the above-mentioned passage...
Top answer
The author himself defines "discourse" in the introductory paragraph. You cannot use the dictionary definition here because the author has used the word in his own way, for his own purposes.
- The author himself defines "discourse" in the introductory paragraph.
- You cannot use the dictionary definition here because the author has used the word in his own way, for his own purposes.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
7 Answers
0
The author himself defines "discourse" in the introductory paragraph. You cannot use the dictionary definition here because the author has used the word in his own way, for his own purposes.
00
AlpheccaStarsThe author himself defines "discourse" in the introductory paragraph.I wish the author had done that... but he didn't...
00
Perfect StrangerI wish the author had done that... but he didn't...Far from being something natural that was repressed, Foucault suggests '***' is a complex idea produced by a range of social practices, investigations, talk, and writing - 'discourses' or 'discursive practices' for short - that come together in t
00
Thank you AS. I believe we are quoting the same book. I still don't understand what they mean by discursive practices or investigations...
00
discursive practices - a synonym, according to the author of "discourse"
Investigation = research, inquiry
Investigation = research, inquiry
00
Hmm... discourse therefore is equal to talks, investigations, social practices etc. ?
It's very vague in my humble opinion.
It's very vague in my humble opinion.
00
I view it as the modern idea of "trending" in twitter - lots of ideas, researches and social practices all buzzing together. In combination, they define and develop a new and complex set of ideas on one subject area.
0
Related Questions