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Question

Which of the following ideas are considered at the core of Michel Foucault's methodology ?
(i) Genealogy of power
(iii) Archaeology of knowledge
(ii) Micro-politics of power
(iv) Power at the societal level
Select the correct answer from the codes given below :
Codes:

The correct answer is
(i) and (iii)

Foucault's Core Methodology Concepts

Michel Foucault's methodological approach is primarily characterized by two key concepts:

  • (i) Genealogy of power: This method traces the historical formation of power relations and how they shape knowledge, practices, and subjectivity. It focuses on the emergence and transformation of power structures.
  • (iii) Archaeology of knowledge: This earlier method involves analyzing the underlying rules, structures, and discursive formations that make knowledge possible within a specific historical period. It examines the conditions of discourse.

Analysis of Foucault's Ideas

Based on Foucault's significant works and established interpretations of his thought:

  • The concepts of Genealogy of power and Archaeology of knowledge are widely recognized as foundational to Foucault's methodology.
  • While Foucault did analyze (ii) Micro-politics of power, this term often describes the *level* or *nature* of power he investigated rather than being a distinct core methodological label like genealogy or archaeology.
  • The idea of (iv) Power at the societal level is too general. Foucault emphasized the dispersed, capillary nature of power operating through specific techniques and institutions, rather than a monolithic, top-down societal power structure.

Conclusion on Core Methodology

Therefore, the ideas considered at the core of Michel Foucault's methodology are the Genealogy of power and the Archaeology of knowledge.

The correct combination is (i) and (iii).

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Important Questions from Sociological Thinkers, Sociological Traditions

  1. Ethnomethodology is concerned with -

    A. The study of ordinary people's method for making sense of and creating order in everyday life.

    B. When people talk or act, they are constantly engaged in interpreting what is going on around them.

    C. There is an inherent relationship between talk and action.

    D. The study of social phenomena by using highly structured interviews of a very large sample size.

    Choose the correct answer from the options given below

  2. Which of the following is true of Edward Said's Orientalism?

    (A) It was published in 1979.

    (B) Utilises the concept of discursive formulation as argued by Foucault.

    (C) He has taken up the detailed analysis of imaginative geography and representation of the Orient.

    (D) It is one of the foundational texts of Postcolonial theory.

    (E) It puts to use Barthes' concept of 'death of the author'.

    Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

  3. Who gave the concept of 'bifurcated consciousness'?
  4. Power operates at all levels of social interaction, in all social institutions and through all people'.
    Who said this?
  5. G.S. Ghurye wrote the following books. Identify the correct chronological sequence of these publications:
    A. Indian Sadhus
    B. I and other Explorations
    C. Caste and Race in India
    D. Gods and Men
    Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
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