Postmodernism/Poststructuralism: A Theoretical Perspective
doi: https://doi.org/10.35536/lje.2000.v5.i1.a6
Saeeda Shah
Abstract
In a world of multiple causes and effects, looking for black and white is turning a blind eye to limitless shades and colours created at diverse intersections. Any particular phenomenon is shaped by historical and cultural specifications interacting in a complex way. Putting these into neat categories across sharp divisions hampers the possibilities of knowledge that can be formulated at limitless points and interstices. Traditional Western philosophical thought was constructed around dualities and dichotomies that imposed “homogeneity and identity upon the heterogeneity of material” (BenHabib: 1992: 208). Post-structural epistemology involves attention to diversity, plurality and relations of power. It offers possibilities by opening spaces for voice/s, and provides a framework to position the ‘subjects’. According to Gaby Weiner, two aims of post-structuralism are:
Keywords
Postmodernism, poststructualism, metanarratives, discourse formations