Foucault s Discourse and strongPowerstrong Implications for.pdfVIP

Open Journal of Philosophy 2013. Vol.3, No.1, 23-28 Published Online February 2013 in SciRes (/journal/ojpp) /10.4236/ojpp.2013.31005 Foucault’s Discourse and Power: Implications for Instructionist Classroom Management Victor Pitsoe, Moeketsi Letseka Department of Educational Leadership and Management, College of Education, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa Email: Pitsovj@unisa.ac.za Received October 23rd th th , 2012; revised November 27 , 2012; accepted December 8 , 2012 This article picks up on Foucault’s radical reconceptualisation of concept “power”, and presents a signifi- cant challenge to contemporary discourses surrounding instructionist classroom management. We critique his approach to instructionist classroom management on the basis that it conceptualises power as domina- tion in dealing with disruption in the classroom. We argue that power and discourse are interrelated con- structs that the teacher uses to perpetuate Taylorism, Fordism and bureaucratic domination in an instruc- tionist classroom setting. Drawing on Foucault’s and Bourdieu’s works, this document reviews: 1) ex- plores Foucault’s theory of discourse; 2) argues discourse as an instrument of power; 3) captures the phi- losophical perspectives on instructionist classroom management; and 4) argues a teacher’s