Poststructuralism

Abstract“Poststructuralism” is a convenient label rather than a coherent movement or ideology. It refers to a collection of theories and ideas that were first developed in France in the 1960s and which began to rise to prominence after the student–worker protests of May 1968. Key figures within poststructuralism include Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, and Gilles Deleuze. Although these thinkers are all French, their work was only called “poststructuralist” after its reception and development in Britain and North America. They did not identify themselves as poststructuralists, and even rejected this name, not least because they used a diverse range of approaches and methodologies and were often highly critical of each other's work.