2005/04/01 by Michael Blain · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Rhetoric and Communication Studies #Foucault, Power, and Ethics #Media Studies and Communication
paper · doi:10.1080/17405900500052168
openalex publication_date 2005/04/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
This paper articulates a genealogical approach to critical discourse analysis derived from Michel Foucault and Kenneth Burke. The possibilities of this approach are displayed through a case study of the discourses produced by the 1994 anti-gay, ‘no special rights’ initiative in Idaho (USA). Proponents of the initiative represented themselves as conservative Idaho citizens fighting a culture war to preserve traditional family values against a powerful, sexually perverse subject with a militant gay agenda. The analysis traces the emergence and dynamic interplay of antagonists' rhetorical moves and counter-moves in this closely fought battle. It shows how categories like ‘conservative’ can be reinterpreted and put into play in a new strategy.