Table of Contents

Series editor's foreword
Preface and acknowledgements
Introduction
defining the concept of discourse
Saussure, structuralism and symbolic systems
Post-structuralism, deconstruction and textuality
Foucault's archaeology of discursive practices
Genealogy, power/knowledge and problematization
The limits of ideology in Marxist theory
Laclau and Mouffe's theory of discourse
Deploying discourse theory
Further reading
Bibliography
Index.

About the Author

Dr David Howarth is a lecturer in Political Theory in the Department of Government at the University of Essex, where he is currently Director of the Masters Programme in Ideology and Discourse Analysis. He recently co-edited South Africa in Transition: New Theoretical Perspectives (1998) and Discourse Theory and Political Analysis (2000). He has published numerous articles and chapters on discourse theory, post-Marxist political theory and its application to empirical cases, most notably South African politics and new environmental movements.

Reviews

"Howarth's comprehensive yet user-friendly introduction not only sharply sketches the basic aspects of the concept of discourse, but also subjects various discourse approaches to a methodical reflection that proposes new possibilities for research." - Jan Matonoha