The getting of sexuality: Foucault, Garfinkel and the analysis of sexual discourse

McHoul, A. (1986) The getting of sexuality: Foucault, Garfinkel and the analysis of sexual discourse. Theory, Culture & Society, 3 (2). pp. 65-79.

Abstract

This paper preserves the time-honoured tripartite sociological distinction between theory, methodology and research. The theoretical section offers some remarks on two quite theoretically distinct sociologies, those of Foucault and Garfinkle. By displaying some family resemblances between them, it aims to generate basic study policies for the exploration of everyday life. The methodological section works from those basic policies and works up a social-logical problem for members of a social worlds where competent sexual conduct is formally required but where 'training' is only made available indirectly. The final analytic section examines an empirical case of a 'candidate solution' to that problem. It deals with a 'naturally occurring' passage of lecturing work in which notions of moral and immoral sexual comportment and talk are recommended 'by the way', 'as an inside'.