Troubling talk, unsettling silence: the discourse of an inclusive community planning group

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dc.contributor.advisorThurston, Wilfreda Enid
dc.contributor.authorFarrar, Joyce Priscilla Jane
dc.date.accessioned2005-08-19T20:42:55Z
dc.date.available2005-08-19T20:42:55Z
dc.date.issued2004
dc.descriptionBibliography: p. 301-328en
dc.description.abstractCommunity development for social justice requires the communication, representation and participation of people at the margins of civil society. The manner in which such communications and representations are heard and answered is critical. Despite many attempts at inclusive community planning and communication across differences, the transformative and democratic outcomes that are sought frequently remain elusive. Rather, the emphasis on cultural diversity habitually leads to a superficial reading of difference that obscures power relations and upholds dominant cultural norms. Little is known regarding how inclusive community planning groups' responses to subordinate groups are socially organised in ways that maintain normative power arrangements, how these arrangements are resisted, and how they are changed. Rarely examined in the literature of inclusive community planning are either, its underlying politics and theories of power, the construction and representation of members' identities, methods of knowledge production, or its communications and silences. This study explores how power is expressed, acknowledged, resisted, and reshaped in the discourse of an ICPG whose minority members had disabilities. A critical discourse analysis of an instrumental case study is presented that is informed by feminist, postmodern and critical theories, and based on data gathered using observation, videotape, documents, and in-depth interviewing. The findings, illustrated with five transcriptions of video clips, show how power circulated among members, positioned them differently, constructed some knowledge as authentic and discarded other knowledge. Discursive practices formed a set of rules that regulated what should be represented and how representation should be made. Knowledge based on personal experience of disability was disallowed and epistemic privilege was withheld from members with disabilities. A final dictum prevented the overt expression of conflict and dissent, therefore, members voiced their concerns in indirect and ambiguous ways. These disciplinary techniques strengthened the dominant discourse of non disabled representatives, and promoted their interests, but not without struggle and resistance expressed in a discourse of self-advocacy from members with disabilities. Power's inscription of embodiment, impairment/disability, knowledge, and silence in relation to wider sociocultural practice is discussed, as well as methodological implications raised by the study. Recommendations for improved practice are suggested.en
dc.format.extentxvi, 339 leaves ; 30 cm.en
dc.identifier.citationFarrar, J. P. (2004). Troubling talk, unsettling silence: the discourse of an inclusive community planning group (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/15152en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/15152
dc.identifier.isbn0612935140en
dc.identifier.lccAC1 .T484 2004 F37en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/42373
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyEducation
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.titleTroubling talk, unsettling silence: the discourse of an inclusive community planning group
dc.typedoctoral thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineEducational Research
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
ucalgary.thesis.accessionTheses Collection 58.002:Box 1500 520492017
ucalgary.thesis.additionalcopy370 EDC 2004 FARen
ucalgary.thesis.notesUARCen
ucalgary.thesis.uarcreleaseyen
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