Discourse Theory in European Politics

by Howarth; Torfing

• ISBN13: 9780333968437
• ISBN10: 0333968433
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-03-02
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

This volume of essays employs discourse theory to analyses mainstream topics in contemporary European politics.Inspired by developments in post-structuralist, psychoanalytic and post-Marxist theory, each contributor problematizes a central issue in European governance, including European security, Third Way politics, constitutional and administrative reform, new forms of nationalism and populism, the shift from welfare to workfare, environmental politics and local government.Alongside these substantive issues, the book tackles questions raised by the difficulties of applying discourse theory to empirical cases.

Author Biography

David R. Howarth is in the Department of Government, University of Essex.

Jacob Torfing is Assistant Professor, Roskilde University, Denmark.

Table of Contents

Notes on Contributors	xiii
Acknowledgements	xvii
Discourse Theory: Achievements, Arguments, and Challenges	1	(315)
Jacob Torfing
Introduction	1	(1)
Achievements	2	(3)
Three generations of discourse theory	5	(4)
The genealogy of post-structuralist discourse theory	9	(4)
Post-structuralist discourse theory in a nutshell	13	(4)
Common concerns responding	17	(4)
The added value of discourse theory	21	(3)
Challenges to discourse theory	24	(2)
Some initial responses	26	(2)
Plan of the book	28	(2)
Bibliography	30	(3)
European Integration and Security: Analysing French and German Discourses on State, Nation, and Europe	33	(35)
Ole Waever
Discourse analysis as a theory of foreign policy	33	(2)
Discourse and structure	35	(3)
Method	38	(4)
France, Germany, and Europe	42	(17)
Where does it lead?	59	(1)
Notes	60	(3)
Bibliography	63	(5)
Passions of Identification: Discourse, Enjoyment, and European Identity	68	(25)
Yannis Stavrakakis
Introduction	68	(2)
Passions of identification I: discourse and enjoyment	70	(10)
Passions of identification II: constructing European identity	80	(9)
Conclusion	89	(1)
Notes	90	(1)
Bibliography	90	(3)
Polity as Politics: Studying the Shaping and Effects of Discursive Polities	93	(24)
Allan Dreyer Hansen
Eva Sørensen
Introduction	93	(5)
Considerations on method	98	(4)
The case study: polity and politics in Skanderborg and Hylke	102	(11)
Conclusion	113	(2)
Notes	115	(1)
Bibliography	115	(2)
Problematizing the Mobilization of Hospital Directors	117	(22)
Steven Griggs
Forging discourse coalitions	118	(3)
The transition of the SNCH to health policy lobby	121	(6)
Forging a modernizing coalition within the SNCH	127	(8)
Conclusions	135	(1)
Notes	136	(1)
Bibliography	136	(3)
Political Administration	139	(31)
Niels Akerstrom Andersen
Introduction	139	(2)
Analytical strategy	141	(6)
An analysis of form of the difference	147	(5)
An analysis of the semantics of the administrative policy as politics about the difference politics/administration	152	(9)
Conclusion: differentiation of a reflexive subsystem	161	(6)
Notes	167	(1)
Bibliography	167	(3)
The Human Rights Act: Politics, Power, and the Law	170	(20)
Anthony M. Clohesy
Introduction	170	(2)
Introduction of the HRA: competing interpretations	172	(4)
`Generations' and `waves' of rights	176	(3)
Methodological considerations: the value of a discourse theory approach	179	(7)
Conclusion	186	(1)
Notes	187	(1)
Bibliography	188	(2)
Right-wing Populism and the Radical Centre: Explaining the Electoral Growth of the Vlaams Blok in Belgium	190	(21)
Patrick de Vos
Introduction	190	(1)
The electoral upsurge of the Vlaams Blok	190	(2)
Separatist nationalism and authoritarian xenophobic populism	192	(2)
Explaining the upsurge of the Vlaams Blok	194	(3)
Defending democracy: counter-strategies	197	(1)
The neo-revisionism of the radical centre	198	(3)
Politics without adversaries. . .and its threatening outside	201	(3)
Conclusion	204	(2)
Notes	206	(5)
Third Way Politics Today	211	(20)
Steven Bastow
James Martin
Introduction	211	(1)
The Third Way: left, right, or centre?	212	(2)
Discourse theory and political ideology	214	(3)
The Third Way `repertoire' in European ideology	217	(7)
Embracing antagonism: radical democracy and the Third Way	224	(4)
Conclusion	228	(1)
Bibliography	229	(2)
New Labour's Politics of the Hard-working Family	231	(24)
Oscar Reyes
The dislocation of Labour's traditional appeal: a European perspective	233	(1)
Post-industrial society	234	(3)
The contradictions of New Labour discourse	237	(2)
The hard-working family: ignoble beginnings	239	(2)
The hard-working family: identifying a nodal point	241	(3)
Community as an empty signifier	244	(2)
New Labour's political subject	246	(3)
Notes	249	(2)
Bibliography	251	(4)
From Welfare to Social Exclusion: Eugenic Social Policies and the Swiss National Order	255	(20)
Veronique Mottier
Introduction	255	(1)
Method: Foucauldian discourse analysis	256	(2)
Governmentality, pastoral power, and national identity	258	(4)
Tales of heredity and degeneration	262	(4)
Eugenics and social policies	266	(4)
Concluding remarks	270	(1)
Notes	271	(1)
Bibliography	272	(3)
Media Discourse and the Public Sphere	275	(22)
Lilie Chouliaraki
The significance of trivia	275	(1)
Media in the media	276	(1)
The debate as government	277	(2)
The debate as an articulation of universal and particular meanings	279	(1)
The debate: `Fingers off Frederic', Reimer Bo 21 October 1998	280	(9)
The politics of truth in the debate	289	(2)
The debate as public sphere	291	(2)
Conclusion	293	(1)
Notes	294	(1)
Bibliography	295	(2)
Coalitions, Practices, and Meaning in Environmental Politics: From Acid Raid to BSE	297	(19)
Maarten A. Hajer
Discourse-coalitions in politics	299	(6)
Argumentative Discourse Analysis	305	(9)
Transcription conventions	314	(1)
Notes	314	(1)
Bibliography	315	(1)
Applying Discourse Theory: the Method of Articulation	316	(35)
David Howarth
Discourse theory and the question of method	317	(4)
Application, articulation, and explanation	321	(8)
Research strategies	329	(6)
Data as text, text as data	335	(6)
Analysing text	341	(2)
The construction of subjectivity	343	(2)
Conclusion	345	(1)
Notes	346	(1)
Bibliography	347	(4)
Index	351