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A participatory inquiry into cultural and religious discourses that either silence or promote gay voices

This study is an inquiry into discourses which influence gay people's lives. Foucault's ideas regarding knowledge, power, discipline, discourse and sexuality form the epistemological background enabling a social constructivist-deconstructive analysis of these concepts in relation to the problem of homosexuality. The theological origins of influential discourses form the focus of one chapter. Additional discursive fields - such as psychology, education, the military and legislature - are also investigated.

Besides the research initiator, three other participants shared their experiences of being gay in a conservative religious context. The narrative analysis spawned five themes of discourse ranging from homophobic discourses - which invite oppression into silence - through reverse-discourse, to those discourses which encourage free expression of gayness. The study seems to support a Foucauldian view that there are various influential power-relations which contest for the right to define human sexuality. Judging from the study, homosexuals do not appear to be powerless or completely silenced at all. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / MTH - SPEC PAST THERAPY

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/1257
Date30 November 2003
CreatorsOtto, Paul Bernard
ContributorsRoux, J.P. (Dr.), Wolfaardt, J.A. (Prof.)
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format1 online reseource (vi, 170 leaves)

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