Exclusion in (?) the Discourse. Discursive Exclusion and the Latest Sociological Research on Discourses

Abstract

Social exclusion has become a key concept in European social sciences in the last decade. However, the concept has evoked several important criticisms which have cast doubts on its usefulness. The aim of this article is to present discursive exclusion as a conceptualisation of exclusion which can withstand the theoretical demands of sociological-analytical notions. Also, the text offers methodological advice for empirical research on the processes of exclusion. I will present three emerging research perspectives: discourse analysis "after structuralism," dispositif analysis, and sociology of knowledge approaches to discourse analysis. I explore their specific potential for sociologically understanding of social exclusion. I will show that each of these perspectives puts foreword particular aspects while losing sight of others. I will discuss the possibilities of combining these approaches.

URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1302199