8. Discourse Analysis

This contribution presents a Foucauldian approach to discourse analysis as a framework that is suitable for analysing the connections between performance and its political dimensions. The case of a performance that is cancelled due to accusations of it being blasphemous is used to broadly introduce the concept of discourse as well as the basic tenets and points of departure of a Foucauldian discourse analysis. The contribution then contextualises the discipline’s approach to the methodology, by highlighting the role of discourse analysis in shaping the way the concept of performance is currently used in theatre and performance studies, referring to the work of Jon McKenzie and Judith Butler. Following an elaboration of the working principles and practical steps in conducting a discourse analysis, the contribution demonstrates how the author adapted and implemented these in her own research on participatory art. The contribution concludes with a discussion of Edward Said’s Orientalism as an instance of expanding discourse analysis.