On the 'con's in deconstruction

Dixon, D.P. and Jones III, J.P. (1997) On the 'con's in deconstruction. California Geographer, 37, pp. 32-36.

Full text not currently available from Enlighten.

Publisher's URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10211.2/2691

Abstract

Few commentators are neutral about deconstruction. Most critics of this method and political practice point to, first, its perceived reluctance to engage in traditional forms of social explanation, and, second, its presumed failure to posit valuative criteria that might guide political action. These are thought to stem from deconstruction's skepticism over the certainty of representation and its concomitant refusal to systematize the identification and hierarchicalization of social power relations. All have led commentators to assume that deconstructivists are agnostic with respect to the production of meaning, the presence of inequalities, and the taking of moral and ethical positions. As a result, deconstruction has been dismissed as a facile, self-nullifying commentary - one characterized by "mere" rhetoric, narcissistic reflection, and inert nihilism. In short, for these critics, deconstruction is a con.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Dixon, Professor Deborah
Authors: Dixon, D.P., and Jones III, J.P.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
Journal Name:California Geographer
Publisher:California Geographical Society
ISSN:0575-5700

University Staff: Request a correction | Enlighten Editors: Update this record