... question: What is a discourse? A discourse is a system of statements which constructs an object. To elaborate further, theorist Foucault believes discourses 'are about what can be said and thought, but also about who can speak, when, and with what authority' (Robinson & Jones Diaz, 1999, p. 4). Therefore, discourses are intimately linked with the way society is organised as it impacts on people's identity having implications for they can do and what they should do. 'Consequently, one's subjectivity and power will be constructed by the discourses that are historically and culturally available to them' (Robinson & Jones Diaz, 1999, p. 4). The three discourses that I will discuss in this essay is clearly defined by the language and actions portrayed in this film. The first discourse is that black people are second class citizens prone to uncivilized behaviour. Secondly, the socially constructed notion of 'whiteness' signifies power and ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now