by Elaina Wolfson
Definition: Doxa is ideas and practices in society that are generally accepted as the status-quo and are not discussed.
Description
Doxa is essential to the study of language and culture because it directly ties language to shaping culture. Doxa is how society permits certain things to be the norm without discussion and no use of language. Doxa being the things we do not talk about, leaves heterodoxy and orthodoxy to be the things we do talk about. Heterodoxy and Orthodoxy are ideas and practices that exist in society that are discussed (living within the realm of discourse). Orthodoxy is discussion to reinforce the ideas and practices that existed in doxa prior. This includes things that are considered the status quo. The difference is that orthodoxy is the actual use of language to discuss these practices and ideas and doxa is how we hold and perform these ideas and practices in society without talking about them. Heterodoxy is ideas and practices that challenge orthodoxy and doxa, they push back against the status quo and try to change or question the norm and things that are generally accepted. Heterodox ideas and practices challenge why and how we do things we do. It includes how we can do things better and calling out things that are not working. Heterodoxy is any voiced disagreement with the status quo. Most often things come out of Doxa (begin to be discussed) with heterodox ideas and practices but are then responded to with orthodox ideas and practices. Because orthodoxy reinforces doxa, it is often not used to initiate discussion because doxa is all of the ideas and practices people and society do and believe without having to think about them as a result of the hegemonic society that we live in.
Application
Doxa, heterodoxy, and orthodoxy can be seen very clearly in the Me Too movement. For a long time sexual harassment and assault has existed and was allowed, because society ignored it. Everyone knew it happened but it was never taken very seriously unless it was an extreme and violent case. With the Me Too movement, women and survivors of sexual assault, harassment, and rape got to push back against the status quo and bring these issues out of Doxa by sharing their own stories and hearing each others. This started the conversation in heterodoxy because anyone that participated in #MeToo, even by simply sharing the hashtag, was protesting the norm (that norm being allowing sexual harassment and assault). As the masses of people stepped forward talking about their shared experiences our society allowed discourse around these topics, bringing them out of doxa. The issues of rape, sexual assault, and harassment came out of doxa with heterodoxy ideas challenging the status quo by saying that these things were not ok and will not be accepted or tolerated anymore.
Out of the millions of Me Too stories a very clear example of doxa and heterodoxy is an incident that happened at the University of Texas Austin. Six Female students there protested a professor who had sexual misconduct charges against him. The administration was lacksidasily dealing with the issue and the women were not going to tolerate it anymore. In the video, that you can see here, you can see the students entering the classroom and call out the professor for what he has done. This is a heterodox practice and immediately brings the issue out of doxa and into the realm of discourse. The whole campus knowing that he is disrespecting female students and disobeying the standards of sexual conduct at the school but not talking about it is the issue existing in doxa. If you watch the video you can see the flow of the issues leaving doxa and coming into the realm of discourse:
1. The professor is teaching his class whilst students sit and learn = Doxa:
Everyone knows that he has committed these wrongdoings but no one is saying anything about it. This is Doxa because his wrong doings are being permitted by society as he is allowed to still hold his position and continue class normally.
2. Students enter the classroom calling him out for what he did = Heterodoxy:
By naming what he has done and explaining how it is unacceptable the issues enter the realm of discourse. You can see the students handing out flyers to students in the class to make sure their heterodox practices are widespread and possibly trying to encourage other students to bring the issues out of doxa within their own friend groups and communities.
The professor himself never responds with orthodoxy or at all. He seems to be trying not to acknowledge their comments perhaps in hopes that this issue will fall back into doxa and allow him to continue his career. Orthodoxy in this case would be people who disagree with these female students. Students or faculty who defend this teacher for his actions or say that it may not be “that bad”. Anyone who has disagreed with the Me Too movement or denounced are trying to reinforce norms that exist within doxa and would be on the end of orthodoxy within the realm of discussion.
There are many ways we can use these tools of doxa, heterodoxy and orthodoxy, from our knowledge toolkit to understand and better analyze the world. Doxa, heterodoxy, and orthodoxy exist in our world in so many different ways. These concepts are ways to understand everyday interactions, changes in culture, and even our own personal understanding in how we act. The Me Too movement is one example I chose to critically analyze using doxa, heterodoxy and orthodoxy because it helps us understand how these issues are only being talked about now. I encourage anyone reading this to use this new tool to analyze different parts of our society.