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Resilience as Governmentality: The DFID's Discourse of Resilience as a New Field of Power

Daouk, Fadi LU (2014) STVK12 20141
Department of Political Science
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the relation between resilience as a discourse and governmentality. Drawing on theory by Foucault, a comparison and application of liberal governmentality will be made with contemporary resilience policy. The DFID, a global leader in resilience-building, will serve as a case to show in what ways power-relations are embedded within the organisation’s discourse. In doing so, I am interrogating the nature of resilience. Moreover, a Foucauldian discourse analysis will demonstrate how ideology and political interests are invested in resilience, which otherwise is presented as a normative referent to sustainable change. My theory and method will, hence, bring together a counter-narrative of... (More)
The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the relation between resilience as a discourse and governmentality. Drawing on theory by Foucault, a comparison and application of liberal governmentality will be made with contemporary resilience policy. The DFID, a global leader in resilience-building, will serve as a case to show in what ways power-relations are embedded within the organisation’s discourse. In doing so, I am interrogating the nature of resilience. Moreover, a Foucauldian discourse analysis will demonstrate how ideology and political interests are invested in resilience, which otherwise is presented as a normative referent to sustainable change. My theory and method will, hence, bring together a counter-narrative of resilience. Because this paper adopts a critical perspective, my interpretations of resilience will point to concepts such as bio-power, how it gives meaning to resilience as a term, and how it renders populations amenable to calculated intervention. Based on this, emphasis will be put on reading language and knowledge as aspects of power. Together, they shape a wider discourse of resilience that can be understood as a modern governmentality operating within liberal frameworks. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Daouk, Fadi LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVK12 20141
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
resilience-discourse, the DFID, risk-management, liberal governmentality, bio-power.
language
English
id
4451482
date added to LUP
2014-06-18 12:17:25
date last changed
2014-06-18 12:17:25
@misc{4451482,
  abstract     = {{The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the relation between resilience as a discourse and governmentality. Drawing on theory by Foucault, a comparison and application of liberal governmentality will be made with contemporary resilience policy. The DFID, a global leader in resilience-building, will serve as a case to show in what ways power-relations are embedded within the organisation’s discourse. In doing so, I am interrogating the nature of resilience. Moreover, a Foucauldian discourse analysis will demonstrate how ideology and political interests are invested in resilience, which otherwise is presented as a normative referent to sustainable change. My theory and method will, hence, bring together a counter-narrative of resilience. Because this paper adopts a critical perspective, my interpretations of resilience will point to concepts such as bio-power, how it gives meaning to resilience as a term, and how it renders populations amenable to calculated intervention. Based on this, emphasis will be put on reading language and knowledge as aspects of power. Together, they shape a wider discourse of resilience that can be understood as a modern governmentality operating within liberal frameworks.}},
  author       = {{Daouk, Fadi}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Resilience as Governmentality: The DFID's Discourse of Resilience as a New Field of Power}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}