Genealogy & Historical Sociology

Social Research Methods

Claire Blencowe

Lecture Overview

History and Sociology

Introducing Genealogy

Theoretical Background to Genealogical Research

Doing Genealogy Finding an issue Collecting data Analysing the data An example – health, masturbation and the physics of the

family

History & Sociology

Sociologists look to history for many reasons Learning from history Using the benefit of hindsight to draw sociological

conclusions Using the past as a point of comparison

Making sense of the present – where do ‘we’ come from? Challenging existent accounts of where we come from;

challenging the understanding of what we now are

History as source of recognition, inspiration and empowerment

Resources for Historical Sociology

Newspaper archives

Fictional literature

Past social research

data

Old sociology

books

History books Film Court

recordsParliamentary records

Policy documents

Archives of organisatio

ns

Library catalogues

Modern Records Centre

Accounts of History:Tell us about past experienceEnable us to look at social-construction of past societiesAlso - Contribute to the construction of the present

Introducing Genealogy

A form of post-structuralist discourse analysis Discourse = power-knowledge Look at the history of discourse Especially interested in values and norms of

behaviour Accounts of history are multiple & contested Demonstrate that values are socially

constructed and contingent Change our relationship to current values History of the present

Genealogy: theoretical background

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)The Genealogy of MoralsBeyond Good and Evil

Morals are historical, ‘social-constructions’ Dispersed and dubious origins of all morals Power and conquest (not God or truth) determines morals Dominant Christian values encourage ugliness, servility

and repression of creativity and nobility

Making the multiple dark and dubious history of morals visible frees us from ‘good and evil’, to pursue noble beautiful life

Genealogy: theoretical background

Michel Foucault (1926-1984)The Birth of the ClinicThe Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human

SciencesThe History of Sexuality

Discourse = power-knowledge Explored history of social values and norms such as

health, reason, truth, normality, freedom, security Values are constructed in multiple and dubious ways Values (and dominant accounts of where they come

from) reflect and maintain power relationships

Dominant account of origin of ‘freedom’

‘Freedom’

Truth revealed by God

Truth revealed by reason

Inevitable outcome of ‘progressive history’ e.g.

French Revolution,

onward march of freedom

OR OR

Genealogical account of origins of ‘freedom’

‘Freedom’Liberal rationality

Institution of representative democracy

Resistance to totalitarian

and despotic rule

Nationalism

Justification of Atlantic slave trade and racial hierarchy

Statistical reason,

working with probabilities

National security agenda

Policing

Techniques of

individualised

governance

and

and

and

and

and an

d

and

and

Some areas of sociology in which genealogical research is popular

Sociology of Health and Medicine Sociology of Law (socio-legal studies) Sociology of Sexuality Sociology of Security Sociology of Politics (especially neo-liberalism)

See additional reading list for examples

Questioning dominant valuesRevealing and challenging power-knowledge

Making us more ‘free’ and more responsible with respect to our values

Doing Genealogy 1: finding an issue

Choose value or norm that is often treated as natural, inevitable, universal or beyond question For example - health, life, freedom, individuality or ‘being-yourself’,

reason, security, representative democracy

Identify an institution or discursive context where that value or norm is established or protected

Identify a discursive ‘event’: when the value/norm was created or recognised, or changed, or institutionalised in a new way...

E.g. Development of modern western medicine E.g. Development of new type of medical treatment; identification of

a new medical condition; change in definition of good health

Doing Genealogy 2: collecting data

Read around the topicHistory books on the discursive context

E.g. Books on the history of medicine

Read widely around the topic E.g. Books on political history of the time that you are looking at;

fictional literature; history books on related themes; existing sociological literature

Identify and explore an archiveSources that can provide alternative perspectives on the

topic; silenced or ignored accounts of what could or should have been; sites of minority voices, arguments and debate

Doing Genealogy 2: collecting data

Newspaper archives Library copies Online archives of particular papers www.britishperiodicals.chadwick.co.uk (use ‘institutional

login’)

Public records Court proceedings (County Records Office, Warwick;

National Archives, Kew, Richmond; www.oldbaleyonline.org up to 1913)

Parliamentary records (www.hansard-archive.parliament.uk)

Policy documents

Doing Genealogy 2: collecting data

Modern Records Centre (university library) http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/ Archives of social and political history, e.g. Of trade

unions and political movements

Books Presenting Minority Perspectives Fictional literature (e.g. Postcolonial literature) Published diaries

Oral Histories Museum or library collections Make your own! (e.g. life-history interviews)

Doing Genealogy 3: analysing the data

Identifying multiple histories of the value/normHighlighting the discursive construction of the

value/norm

What are the mainstream accounts of the origin of the value or the discursive event?

What alternative accounts can we find in the archive(s)? How can we show that this value is socially constructed and

historically contingent? What different values, ideals or desires are there around

this issue? What value system was in play before the discursive event?

Doing Genealogy 3: analysing the data

Explaining the event (the emergence, transformation or institutionalisation of the value/norm) in terms of power relations or political strategies?

Was the event accompanied by a change in who has power?

Are there any power struggles that took place at the same moment as the discursive event, that might help to explain it?

Are there any parallels between the specific history of values and the general political history at the time?

Whose perspective on the event has become the dominant, mainstream view?

Whose accounts of the issues have been silenced in the official history?

Doing genealogy: an exampleAbnormal (Foucault, 2003)The Research Steps

Value Health (e.g. Sexual health)

Event Radical improvement of health 19th century France and UK

Discursive context

Regulation of sexual practices

Official history

Emergence of public health because of science for the good of all

Related history

Industrial revolution; Empire; Establishment of modern Nation-State

Archive Self-help style literature directed at parents and children

AnalysisMultiple history

Obsession with childhood masturbationFuture of civilisation in the ‘hands’ of naughty childrenParents must save their children (and the nation and the race)

AnalysisPower relations

Not just ‘health for all’ also...New ‘physics of the family’ – nuclear familyInvesting power of state throughout life, bodies and desires of family

Seminar Preparation

*Bring a laptop to the seminar if possible*

Reading Dean: an example of genealogical thinking around

the issue of war and security (you could choose another example from the additional reading list instead)

Foucault: ‘Questions of Method’ – philosophical reflections on what it’s all about more than practical advice

‘Highly recommended readings’ include more in the way of practical advice for future reference