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The politics of making meaning: discourse analysis of a ‘postmodern’ interview
Author(s) -
Kogan Steven M.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1467-6427
pISSN - 0163-4445
DOI - 10.1111/1467-6427.00085
Subject(s) - narrative , interview , meaning (existential) , postmodernism , neglect , narrative inquiry , psychology , epistemology , social constructionism , narratology , sociology , politics , meaning making , social psychology , psychotherapist , linguistics , political science , philosophy , psychiatry , anthropology , law
Both constructivist and constructionist models of therapy seek to produce new meanings with clients and families. Critics have pointed out that these therapies may neglect to consider the political and embedded nature of meaning making. This paper describes a discourse analysis of a construction/uctivist interview. Three interlocking conversational strategies employed by the interviewer are identified: exteriority, the disciplining of narrative and locality . These strategies are examined in the light of their effects on the unfolding narrative in the session, both in a productive and a restrictive sense. The function of therapy theory and techniques in subjugating client narratives as well as providing processes for constructing new meaning is discussed.