Early American History in a Postmodern Age

Bibliographic Data

ID4944585
AuthorsSaul Cornell (corresponding author)
Year1993
Volume50
Issue2
Pages329
Publication date1993-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe William and Mary Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0043-5597 • E-ISSN: 1933-7698
PublisherJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/2947078
OpenAlexW2089988265
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited2

OST-STRUCTURALISM, most important intellectual movement to have emerged in our postmodern age, has been described by one commentator as the style of French thought whose strategies and forms of analysis are oriented towards dismantling of stable conceptions of meaning, subjectivity and identity.' Historians may find it most useful to consider recent theory in terms of its focus on textuality, discourse, and ideology as categories of analysis. An exceedingly heterogeneous movement inspired by work of a diverse group of social, political, and literary theorists, post-structuralism encompasses a bewildering array of positions, but even so, some commonalities can be identified. For example, both Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault, two leading theorists, have attempted to expose connections among texts, culture, and power. Their explicitly political work reflects post-structuralism's primary goal: to create potential for political liberation by decentering, dislocating, and disrupting conventional understandings.2 Mr. Cornell from i989 to i99i was a Fellow of Institute of Early American History and Culture, where his fellowship was partially supported by a grant from National Endowment for Humanities, and is a member of Department

Art · Literature · Postmodernism · American Political and Social Dynamics · History · Latin American and Latino Studies · Race, History, and American Society

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub