CIV 101-03 Class 2january 23, 2015

Two approaches to analyzing cultural history • Michel Foucault• TS Kuhn

Analyzing art

Michel Foucault

The Archeology and Genealogy Of Discursive Formations

Discursive Formations The everyday structures that govern

knowledge in a culture. Established by particular discourse

practices. As archeology: One present at time; little

overlap--not much transition between them. As genealogy: generations, with overlapping

relationships

Discursive Formationsas Archeology

Discursive Formationsas Genealogy

Rules Governing Discursive Formations

What can be said/written?Who can speak/write?Rules for theories/accepted knowledge

Rules which control the appearance of discourse: What can be said?

Prohibitions for speaking of certain things.

Rules which establish institutional bodies as proper authorities and spokespeople for the creation of an object of discourse.

Rules concerning who is allowed to speak/write

Each culture listens to some and discredits others.

Credibility is given based on the accomplishment of certain conditions.

Certain ways of producing discourse enable credible listening.

Rules for ritual production. Rules for particuarly acceptable sites.

Rules for proper forms concepts and theories must assume to be accepted as

knowledge

The proper arrangement of sayings. Stylistic rules Only certain people may participate in

generating certain types of rules.

Searching Archeology/Genelogyfor Discursive Formations

Uncover regularities in discursive practices, particularly the everyday.

Investigate contradictions and see how the current formation makes them fit.

Make comparative descriptions of similar discursive practices in different formations.

See change as a succession made possible by events, not merely as chronology.

How do networks of power relations work in all this?

T.S. Kuhn

Paradigms and the Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Challenges the usual historical take on “normal science”

Opposes the idea that science is additive, chronological, and regular• Anti-development-by-accumulation

Instead, proposes that science happens within PARADIGMS

Nature of a scientific PARADIGM

Answers currently available questions Using currently available language, theory,

world view, methods. Doesn’t “see” questions that are outside the

paradigm • At all or• As important

Treats questions and people outside the paradigm as “fringe” or worse

Phases of Paradigm development

Pre-paradigm (can only happen once in a given scientific field/discipline)• no consensus on any particular theory• several incompatible and incomplete theories• one of these conceptual frameworks and

ultimately to a widespread consensus on terms, methods, and questions.

Phase 2- Normal Science • On we go, until, • Anomalies show up. Most get fixed;

eventually, some don’t

Phases of Paradigm development

Phase 3- Anomalies move to Crisis. • Unresolved anomalies worry someone• Those “lunatics”/”radicals” are noisy; they get

sanctioned; sometimes they go away; other times, they make progress and win out.

Phase 4- Scientific revolution: the underlying assumptions of the field are re-examined and a new paradigm is established.

Phase 5- Post-Revolution, the new paradigm's dominance is established and back we go to what looks like Normal Science

Phases of Paradigm development

Are incommensurable• Elements of the old and the new

paradigms don’t communicate/comport well with each other

Kuhn presented this for SCIENCE

He did not envision applying these ideas to other cultural forces

But other people have done so, with interesting results

Analyzing Art

“A humanities primer: How to Understand the Arts”

analyzing art (Art analysis standards)