An Introduction to Positioning Theory Past and Present

This chapter provides an overview of the history, foundations, origins, and development of Positioning Theory as introduced by Bronwyn Davies and Rom Harré. Section One describes some prehistory of positioning in the social sciences as influenced by Hollway, Foucault, and Giddens. This section revisits the original Davies and Harré publication “Positioning: The Discursive Production of Selves” and considers the works of Davies and Harré. The chapter discusses early texts by Harré and others to explore how Positioning Theory was further developed and systematized. Section Two maps the roots and the branches of the Positioning Theory through a revised version of the positioning tree figure. Special attention focuses on the impact of the original Davies and Harré article as reflected by uptake throughout the social sciences. This section further explores the broader context of the conceptual antecedents of the theory, as well as the applications in some social sciences disciplines. Section Three presents the outline of the theory as it stands today while also considering how some of these dimensions and concepts emerged over time.