Genealogy

From Geography

The term genealogy was used by Nietzsche in 1882 and was adopted by Michel Foucault. Genealogy is a technique that searches back in the history of beliefs and concepts. Genealogy does not search for the origin and does not intend to construct a linear overview, rather it seeks versatile or contradictory elements of the past. Hereby genealogy deconstructs truth, as Nietzsche found that only that which has never had a history can be defined with any certainty (Harrison, 2006).

Foucault was influenced by Nietzsche’s work. He practices genealogy as a historical-philosophical method. He studied amongst others prisons and human sexuality which he wrote as detailed genealogies of the various ways in which bodies and minds were and are historically constituted (Harrison, 2006). 'Foucault claimes that his purpose in writing was not to write a history of the past, but a history of the present, in order to illuminate how we have arrived where we are, which will open up future possibilities of chang and resistance.' (Gregory et al. 2009 p. 270).'

Genealogy also attacks the common picture of a glorious past, like total history - (total history vs general history) - of Foucault. The theory of genealogy uses many different sources and details. Where archaeology analysis could say nothing about the causes of the transition from one way of thinking to another, this is the aim of genealogy (Gutting, 2010). Kramsch explained the workings of genealogy by comparing it to the genealogy of a family which implies tracing back the roots of a family through a family tree (Kramsch, personal communication, 17.09.2010).

Example

A big building with machines in it to transform materials into other materials is known as a factory. A factory is a part of industry and due to that it is valued higher than for example labour work or agricultural work. This is a universaly opinion that comes from a certain discours. Foucault wants to challenges this universal "truth". He wants to show that labour work and agricultural work are just as important. One way he does this is by a genealogical analysis (Gibson-Graham, 2000, p. 99-100).

In the total system of economics labour work and agriculture are devalued. But by showing the history of the present industry it can made clear that agriculture and labour work are of the same importants as industry. The genealogy of industry might start with an economy were due to a agricultural surplus it for some people is possible to start developing non-agricultural activities. These activities can develop into industry and take a central role with its vision of economy and economic growth, including demand for agricultural products and services. Eventually it develops into the present industry. But the analysis shows that this was only possible due to agriculture and labour work. So what genealogy wants to show is that the economy is a totality of integrated activities and sites, due to that all factors have to be valued the same (Gibson-Graham, 2000, p. 100). So if there exists any difference between two things you can take these differences away by looking to the history of these things to see that they are both of the same importance because they are connected. This can be done with many things not only industry and labour work. Discourses can be changed by looking at their history.

References:

Gibson-Graham, J.K. (2000) Poststructuralist interventions. In, E. Sheppard & T. Barnes (eds.) A Companion to Economic Geography. Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 95-110.

Gregory,D. Johnston, R., Pratt, G., Watts, M.J. and Whatmore, S. (2009). The dictionary of human geography. Blackwell Publishing, UK.

Gutting, Gary, "Michel Foucault", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2010/entries/foucault/>.

Harrison, P. (2006). Poststructuralist Theories. In: Aitken, S. & Valentine, G. (2006). Approaches to human geography. Sage, London.

Published by Anouk Soomers and Sabrina Willems

Added by Lars Schopen ( 14-09-2011)

Enhanced & Links added by Aafke Brus --AafkeBrus 08:28, 30 September 2011 (UTC)