Postmodernism in political science
refers to the use of postmodern
ideas in political science
.Postmodernists believe that many situations which are considered political in nature can not be adequately discussed in traditional realist
approaches to political science
. Postmodernists cite examples such as the situation of a “draft-age youth whose identity is claimed in national narratives of ‘national security’ and the universalizing narratives of the ‘rights of man,’” of “the woman whose very womb is claimed by the irresolvable contesting narratives of ‘church,’ ‘paternity,’ ‘economy,’ and ‘liberal polity.’Richard K. Ashley and R. B. J. Walker, "Introduction: Speaking the Language of Exile: Dissident Thought in International Studies" in International Studies Quarterly
, Vol. 34, No. 3 (Sep., 1990), pp. 259-268 In these cases, postmodernists argue that here are no fixed categories, stable sets of values, or common sense meanings to be understood in their scholarly exploration.
In these margins, postmodernists believe that people resist realist concepts of power which is repressive, in order to maintain a claim on their own identity. What makes this resistance significant is that among the aspects of power resisted is that which forces individuals to take a single identity or to be subject to a particular interpretation. Meaning and interpretation in these types of situations is always uncertain;... Read More