SKAD Symposium, European Congress of Qualitative Inquiry

Analyzing Discourse and Regimes of Power/Knowledge with the Sociology of Knowledge Approach to Discourse (SKAD) and related perspectives

The symposium will discuss theoretical issues, methodology and empirical research on discourses and regimes of power/knowledge in different social areas, using the Sociology of Knowledge Approach to Discourse (SKAD). This perspective on discourses and their analysis draws on Foucault, Berger and Luckmann and the interpretative paradigm of sociology including symbolic interactionism and "communicative constructivism". In comparison to the Foucauldian tradition, SKAD focuses more on social actors and societal arenas of discursive disputes. In comparison to Berger & Luckmann, it expands analysis of societal processes of knowledge construction in institutional contexts and in public or semi-public arenas. Integrating both, it re-orientates discourse research towards questions of social relationships of knowledge and politics of knowledge – following knowledges, their production and power effects through societies. In doing so, SKAD takes also into account research questions concerning Situational Analysis as conceived by Adele Clarke, and organizational discourse. The session invites researchers using the SKAD framework or close perspectives as Situational Analysis, to present their work and/or to discuss further perspectives.