Fook, J. (2012). Discourse, Language, Narratives(3, Discourse, ideology, language)

What does this mean?- The ways we think about the world are related to the ways in which power is made and exercised/ can help develop our ideas about critical practice in challenging dominant power arrangements 

Postmodern and poststructural thinkers have developed the idea of ‘discourse’

  • This involves an understanding of how the ways we talk about our world, that is our frameworks for understanding our social worlds, actually also construct it 

  • Similar to concepts of ideology/ seen as a further development of it 

  • The idea of narrative is also closely related, since narratives are in a sense also discourse

  • Ideology: 

    • Refers to the totality of processes which form and maintain the social awareness of the individual members of that society 

    • It is about how people thinking about their social world and their relative place within it is created, developed and sustained 

    • Two aspects to ideology- both the content of the idea and the process which maintain that thinking 

    • Ideology is directly about power, since it is about how social ideas maintain the social structures 

  • There are three levels in which ideology is expressed:

    • Practical: refers to the specific behaviours and practices which arise from ideological beliefs 

      • There may be certain customs or roles which are an expected part of membership in a particular group (social workers being expected to dress and behave like professionals 

    • Theoretical: includes the ideas, rationalizations or conceptualizations which explain or underpin these specific behaviours or practices 

      • The idea that professionals should be able to be differentiated from non-professionals because of their specialist status 

    • Institutional: Refers to the systemic organization of these specific ideas and practices which ensures that they are maintained, and in some ways may take a life on their own 

      • The ideology of the ‘professional’ denotes an identifiable set of roles, behaviors and beliefs which helps preserve the superior status of the members of the social groups 

  • Ideologies can exist as single ideas, held by individuals, or as total world beings which form the basis of the thinking of whole civilizations 

  • Vital in developing a critical approach to social work practice, because it helps us do two things: 1- to analyze the thinking and structures which function to restrict and oppress people and 2- to locate a starting point for assisting them to challenge the thinking and structures 



  • Limitations of the concept of ideology:

    • False consciousness- assumes making a problematic distinction between truth or falsity which itself involves the exercise of power 

      • How truth is determined and whose idea of truth then becomes important 

      • This implied a very simplification notion of social functions, that they are primarily about preserving inequitable power relations

      • It is possible that there might be several, perhaps contradictory, ways in which ideas function simultaneously 

    • Dualism of Action and Consciousness- a divide exists between peoples awareness and their actions 

      • Marxist view: awareness must change for people to identify and act upon their real interests 

      • Consciousness-raising: a process (used in radical, structural, and feminist social work) that reveals how peoples thinking perpetuates systems working against their interests 

      • Implications: people may not realize how their interests are (or aren’t served daily) 

        • Awareness does not guarantee immediate behavioural change due to personal or societal barriers 

        • experience itself is valuable but often devalued in ideological frameworks 

      • Critique: assumes a rational understanding of experience 

        • does not account for complexity and variation across cultures or contexts 

    • Marxist Ideology of Social Structures- Ideology obscures power dynamics, presenting social relations as natural and unchangeable

      • Disadvantaged groups may unknowingly sustain systems if subordination  

      • Social structures are portrayed as all-encompassing, making disadvantage seem inevitable 

      • Problems: 

        • Oversimplifies phenomena, ignoring middle-level influences like cultural institutions 

        • Creates rigid binaries- individual/society, mind/body, awareness/action 

      • Impact on social work: 

        • empathy and power dynamics- empathy can simultaneously empower and disempower both the social worker and service user 

        • cultural differences influence how empathy is perceived- patronizing vs. expected 

    • Discourse and Its Role- Discourse involves the networks of communication through language and non-verbal systems, shaping how individuals understand and engage with the world 

      • Key Features: 

        • Not neutral; reflects power and value systems 

        • Shapes and limits communication, creating a gap between intention and interpretation 

        • Varies across contexts, always contestable 

      • Language and Power: 

        • Language labels carry assumptions, connotations, and hierarchies 

        • Dominant discourses maintain power by shaping unquestioned narratives 

        • subordinate groups may inadvertently uphold dominant systems 

    • Narrative and Meaning:

      • Making- a personal account used to create meaning from experiences 

      • Structure: often involves temporal ordering and cause- effect relationships 

      • Flexibility: stories can change based on new experiences and perspectives 

      • Importance in social work: analyzing narratives helps understand how people construct their realities; stories are central to both practice and therapeutic changes 

    • Critical and Interpretive Approaches:

      • Interpretative Perspective: emphasizes subjective understanding of meaning 

        • Recognizes meanings are context- dependent and dynamic 

      • Critical Practice: Acknowledges complexity and contradictions

      • Moves away from rigid theories to focus on contextual ways of knowing 

    • Theories and Ways of Knowing:

      • Revisiting Theory: Formal theories offer starting points but are not always applicable in practice 

      • Knowledge emerges from lived experiences, personal interpretations, and cultural contexts

      • Postmodern Perspective: theories are tools, not rulebooks; emphasizes inclusivity, acknowledging multiple ways to understand and theorize situations 

      • Practical Application: use formal theories for communication and framing; incorporate diverse discourses and personal insights for a nuanced understanding 

    • Takeaways for social work practice:

      • recognize and challenge ideological structures that perpetuate disadvantage 

      • appreciate the interplay between awareness, experience, and action 

      • understand the cultural and contextual nuances of empathy and power

      • analyze narratives to support meaning-making and empower service users 

      • use a flexible, inclusive approach to theories and knowledge in practice