Place in discours

From Geography

Under construction by Paul Cuijpers

Foucault as a true post-structionalist wanted to evolve the grand narrative of total history (revolving around a centre) to general history (the fragmented view below). Using genealogy (tracing the roots of entire disciplines) to find the general history. He found the construction of powerful knowledge being communicated in discourse. Discourse is everything wich communicates a claim of truth, this can be expressed in any kind of symbol making linguistic that succeeds in becoming hegemonic. Discourse is a tool of power, the language of those who are in power. Power is used to make subjective truths to a 'objective' norm to the subjected 'believers'. The valuation of good (normal) and bad (abnormal) works as a mechanism of in- and exclusion.

How to interpretate the influence of discourse in place? Constructed norms/discourses are spread through space. People in Iran for example are likely to be subjected to a different religious discourse from people in America (Catholic vs Islamic). But on a smaller scale there are numerous examples to think of too. The discourse in a university envolves around knowledge finding, whereas the discourse in a bank envolves around money. The discourse is internalised in to the corporal reality of the subjects within these spaces. In a university for example students will try to see the world with a critical scientific view, in a bank employees will try to see the world in a commercial view. Their view and behavior is subjected to the discourse of their environment.