Studying discursive practices of sovereignty

Proceeding from the viewpoint that sovereignty is the product of meaning-making processes, this chapter reflects on discourse analysis as an apt methodological framework for its study. The question is initially posed as to who has the discursive power to claim sovereignty. The ends of this inquiry demonstrate sovereignty’s production as a social force. Going beyond observation, the authors argue that by employing discourse analysis and selecting texts for examination, the researcher unavoidably reproduces and reifies the sovereignty claim in the speech of study. Towards achieving more nuanced research results, this chapter advocates the use of positionality to elucidate the role and responsibility of the researcher in using discourse analysis to examine state sovereignty.