The Field of Foucaultian Discourse Analysis: Structures, Developments and Perspectives

Abstract

Das Feld der Foucaultschen Diskursanalyse: Strukturen, Entwicklungen und Perspektiven«. The article outlines the field of FOUCAULTian discourse analysis. The FOUCAULTian concept of discourse is introduced, and methodological positions and methodological developments are sketched. Compared to other qualitative social research approaches, the different researchers and research groups that have adopted the FOUCAULTian concept of discourse are not linked by a fully integrated common research paradigm. However, they share common methodological problems and areas of methodological research resulting from various references to FOUCAULTian positions. In the last decade, different research groups have become aware of these shared commonalities, so that one can speak of an emerging field of FOUCAULTian discourse analysis rather than an emerging paradigm. The article gives an insight into discourse analytic research in selected countries, discusses the internationalization of FOUCAULTian discourse analysis and highlights current trends and perspectives.