Below are the tutorial notes for Rowan’s tute on Monday at 10.30-12, compiled by Camilla, Bronson and Alli.
The majority of these lecture revolved around Rowan trying to ensure that we fully understood the terminology used in the course and the Miller and Rose reading.
Firstly we defined a few theories.
- Critical approach is the layering of theory upon theory. Critical approach describes behaviour without quantifying it and can often become quiet complex. This approach is hard to prove wrong, as its justification is much more in depth than empirical research methods and evidence. By using a critical approach, with the combination of theories, it is possible to reveal trends and constructive advancements, associated with social and cultural contexts and their related implications. As society wide issues are not able to be narrowed down into numbers, critical approach can be extremely useful and constructive.
- Empiricism was discussed next. When discussing Empirical data, one is chiefly concerned with results that are the direct by-product of quantifiable methodologies. That is to say, data that can be used to create statistics and other quantity based facts. Empirical research finds it advantages over other, say, more qualitative methodologies in that it can be used to test hypothesis and that empiricism produces solid facts and figures as opposed to more in depth results.
- Post structuralism – Structuralism is an approach that sees any field as a complex system of interrelated parts which only have any meaning through a system of signs. These signs are seen as the be all and end all of the meaning they produce. Post-structualism is developed in response to this. Post-structuralism rejects the idea of truth being an infinite concept and suggests that everything is interpreted differently by each person. Post-structuralist critics see meaning making (or truth) as a mediated process, with our socio-cultural background, past experience and beliefs playing a role in our interpretation of things. These meanings we create are an example of a sort of social kind of power.
In the last part of the lecture we went over the Miller and Rose reading to ensure we fully grasped what they were talking about. Here’s a few we jotted down.
• Paragraph 1: power is undergoing complex changes in regards to relationships and how it operates by way of restrictions
• Paragraph 2: shift from restriction to enabling
• Paragraph 3: Arguing for the shift from the coherent entity to the inclusive notion of Governmentality
• Paragraph 4: this paper will explore power and the networks of Governmentality
• Paragraph 5: Government as a form of influence, by way of expertise
• Paragraph 6: problems of Government are often analysed by way of rationalities. The technologies of power. (technologies and techniques of power. Terms are used interchangeably). We should be focusing on the how rather than the why
• Paragraph 7: micro processes work in parallel. Think of it as bottom up work.
Next week we’ll be working from technologies of government to welfare and governmentalization of the state.
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