Julia & TammyJulia & TammyPresent….Present….

‘‘On The Defensive:On The Defensive:

Poststructuralism Poststructuralism and Australian and Australian

Cultural History’Cultural History’By Stephen GartonBy Stephen Garton

Steven Steven GartonGarton Professor of History at the University of Professor of History at the University of

SydneySydney

Author of four books and over sixty Author of four books and over sixty articles, chapters and encyclopedia and articles, chapters and encyclopedia and historical dictionary entries. historical dictionary entries.

• Focus on such areas as the history of Focus on such areas as the history of madness, psychiatry, crime, madness, psychiatry, crime, incarceration, masculinity, eugenics, incarceration, masculinity, eugenics, social policy, poverty, returned social policy, poverty, returned soldiers, masculinity and sexuality.soldiers, masculinity and sexuality.

awarded the Centenary Medal in awarded the Centenary Medal in 2003 for services to Australian history.2003 for services to Australian history.

Main Main Points Points

ExpresseExpressed in d in

Paper. . .Paper. . .

First, Lets Get Some First, Lets Get Some Definitions Down Packed…..Definitions Down Packed….. ““Cultural historyCultural history is concerned with is concerned with

the signs, symbols, rituals and the signs, symbols, rituals and practices that historically shape practices that historically shape ideas, beliefs, habits and action. It is ideas, beliefs, habits and action. It is concerned with uncovering the concerned with uncovering the meanings embedded in forms of meanings embedded in forms of cultural interaction defined in the cultural interaction defined in the anthropological sense of a ‘whole anthropological sense of a ‘whole way of life’.” way of life’.”

– – Stephen Garton (2003)Stephen Garton (2003)

PoststructuralismPoststructuralism““Poststructuralists …focus on language Poststructuralists …focus on language

and culture as autonomous realms and culture as autonomous realms of social practice, exploring the ways of social practice, exploring the ways that these practices are produced that these practices are produced and contained by language itself. For and contained by language itself. For poststructuralists there is nothing poststructuralists there is nothing prior to language. The social world is prior to language. The social world is only apprehended through the lens only apprehended through the lens of language.” – Garton (2003) of language.” – Garton (2003)

Australian Cultural HistoryAustralian Cultural History Cultural History is flourishing in Australia Cultural History is flourishing in Australia

and overseasand overseas

Several JournalsSeveral Journals1. Australian Cultural History 1. Australian Cultural History 2. Australian historical Studies2. Australian historical Studies3. Journal of Australian Studies3. Journal of Australian Studies

Articles are on:Articles are on: problems of problems of representation, narrative, myth, textual representation, narrative, myth, textual strategies, cultural practices, power, strategies, cultural practices, power, knowledge, sexuality, masculinity, knowledge, sexuality, masculinity, femininity, space.femininity, space.

Move away from focusing on influential Move away from focusing on influential men, to a focus on other social men, to a focus on other social groups such as women and groups such as women and Indigenous AustraliansIndigenous Australians

Poststructuralism is not the only significant influence on cultural history.

To comprehend the past we need tools and concepts to allow us to grasp the cultural contexts in which the remnants of the past have been produced.

CULTURAL CULTURAL FRAMEWORKSFRAMEWORKS

The past is lived, The past is lived, remembered, remembered, memorialised memorialised

and and experienced experienced

within relatively within relatively independent independent cultural cultural frameworks.frameworks.

Cultural frameworks are the product of: Cultural frameworks are the product of: action, invention, imagination and social action, invention, imagination and social practice, and the political, social and practice, and the political, social and cultural conflicts emerging out of cultural conflicts emerging out of contests over power and meaning. contests over power and meaning.

Reconstructions require theories.

Theory is not an optional extra

Richard Waterhouse and John RickardRichard Waterhouse and John Rickard Joan Scott and Beverly KingstonJoan Scott and Beverly Kingston What is Poststructuralism? What has been What is Poststructuralism? What has been

its influence in this field? its influence in this field?

Poststructuralists focus on Poststructuralists focus on language language and cultureand culture as independent realms of as independent realms of social practice, exploring the ways that social practice, exploring the ways that these practices are produced and these practices are produced and contained by language itself. There is contained by language itself. There is nothing prior to languagenothing prior to language. The . The social social world is only understood through the world is only understood through the lens of languagelens of language, therefore you need , therefore you need to know how language produces to know how language produces culture. culture.

Making HistoryMaking History Historians always construct larger worlds from fragments and evidence only takes on meaning when placed in an appropriate context. We must acknowledge that evidence is only part of the picture.

Although some historians parade common sense as their interpretation, and others proclaim theory at every turn we can’t take either of these positions as the most applicable.

Difference between Difference between books which add books which add valuable evidence valuable evidence and don’t advance and don’t advance our understanding of our understanding of the past, and books the past, and books with add with add immeasurably to our immeasurably to our understanding of the understanding of the past because of the past because of the sophistication of the sophistication of the empirical research. empirical research. (eg. Jane (eg. Jane McCalmans’s Sex McCalmans’s Sex and Suffering)and Suffering)

Poststructuralism is not an Poststructuralism is not an overlay, masking a poverty overlay, masking a poverty of research, but it is a way of research, but it is a way of opening out and of opening out and exploring detailed empirical exploring detailed empirical research, offering new ways research, offering new ways of viewing the past. of viewing the past.

Tom GriffithsTom Griffiths : draws on a diverse range of theoretical traditions(ideas of : draws on a diverse range of theoretical traditions(ideas of people as history makers), Foucaldian concepts of discourse and people as history makers), Foucaldian concepts of discourse and classificationclassification

Catharine Coleborne, Ros Pesman, David WalkerCatharine Coleborne, Ros Pesman, David Walker…. They all interpret …. They all interpret the evidence to illuminate our understanding of the past. the evidence to illuminate our understanding of the past.

Joy DamousiJoy Damousi is a striking example, examines ways in which convict is a striking example, examines ways in which convict women were constructed as ‘depraved and disorderly’ and how these women were constructed as ‘depraved and disorderly’ and how these representations arose out of specific forms of resistance to masculine representations arose out of specific forms of resistance to masculine colonial authority. Damousi deploys poststructuralist concepts to uncover colonial authority. Damousi deploys poststructuralist concepts to uncover the sexual dynamics of colonial society.the sexual dynamics of colonial society.

Tim RowseTim Rowse – draws very effectively on Foucaldian concepts of discourse, – draws very effectively on Foucaldian concepts of discourse, power and governmentality. He delivers a fresh and insightful study of power and governmentality. He delivers a fresh and insightful study of assimilation policy. Study comes out of excellent empirical research but assimilation policy. Study comes out of excellent empirical research but also is shaped by the new ways Rowse read the evidence, deploying also is shaped by the new ways Rowse read the evidence, deploying poststructuralist concepts to raise original and rewarding questions. poststructuralist concepts to raise original and rewarding questions.

Final points in paperFinal points in paper Poststructuralist ideas Poststructuralist ideas

and concepts are not and concepts are not essential to the field of essential to the field of Australian cultural Australian cultural history BUT they have history BUT they have been very influential. been very influential.

Some of the best work in the field has Some of the best work in the field has utilised Poststructuralist concepts. utilised Poststructuralist concepts. Foucault’s concepts have been used by a Foucault’s concepts have been used by a number of cultural historians. Others have number of cultural historians. Others have drawn on poststructuralist concepts.drawn on poststructuralist concepts.

These concepts and approaches have These concepts and approaches have failed to please critics such as failed to please critics such as Windschuttle and Evans. They think it’s a Windschuttle and Evans. They think it’s a crisis in the discipline, but it’s not, it’s a crisis in the discipline, but it’s not, it’s a thriving culture of historical debate. thriving culture of historical debate.

What is in all works Garton has chosen as What is in all works Garton has chosen as good examples, is detailed empirical research good examples, is detailed empirical research enlivened by new ways of interpreting the enlivened by new ways of interpreting the evidence. This requires concepts and ideas evidence. This requires concepts and ideas that come from theory. that come from theory.

Good Poststructuralist history requires excellent Good Poststructuralist history requires excellent research but history is always more than the discovery research but history is always more than the discovery of facts, it is the placement of facts in contexts, the of facts, it is the placement of facts in contexts, the conferral of meaning, the weaving of fact and context conferral of meaning, the weaving of fact and context into a coherent and defensible narrative of the past. It into a coherent and defensible narrative of the past. It also involves an awareness of the constructed nature also involves an awareness of the constructed nature of historical narrative. of historical narrative.

Past doesn’t suit outside the present, Past doesn’t suit outside the present, but is constructed within culture, and but is constructed within culture, and requires a system of exposition to requires a system of exposition to make it comprehensible. make it comprehensible.

Windschuttle’s choice is one Windschuttle’s choice is one between competing theories and between competing theories and methods not one between fact and methods not one between fact and theory. Windschuttle and Evans are theory. Windschuttle and Evans are calling for a narrowing of our calling for a narrowing of our historical vision. They want to cling historical vision. They want to cling to the idea of a knowable past and to the idea of a knowable past and the historian as an objective the historian as an objective commentatorcommentator. .

The arguments of Wind and Evans are a The arguments of Wind and Evans are a call for a return to the history of ‘dead call for a return to the history of ‘dead white males’.white males’.

Windschuttle and Evans threaten Windschuttle and Evans threaten to make us captives of the past. to make us captives of the past.

What constitutes good history is What constitutes good history is the opening up of novel ways of the opening up of novel ways of seeing the past and forging of seeing the past and forging of new connections between past new connections between past and present. Cultural history and and present. Cultural history and Poststructuralism have the Poststructuralism have the potential of achieving this end. potential of achieving this end. There are ways of escaping the There are ways of escaping the poverty of empiricism. poverty of empiricism.

These historians ignore arguments that evidence These historians ignore arguments that evidence contains silences, and that we need to read them contains silences, and that we need to read them against the grain to uncover these excluded against the grain to uncover these excluded social groups. social groups. Evidence itself is a historical process, one shaped Evidence itself is a historical process, one shaped by politics and power.by politics and power.

The End!The End!

Thank YouThank You