A style for each occasion: A response to Dominik Bartmanski and Jasen Phillips, and Sinisa Malešević

This response addresses Dominik Bartmanski and Jasen Phillips’ account of Michel Foucault's ‘late style’ and Sinisa Malešević's assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of Foucauldian frameworks in relation to nationalism. While acknowledging the contributions of both texts, it questions whether particular Foucauldian approaches should be regarded as more complete, and if a general approach can be isolated and considered insufficient for an analysis of nationalism. Drawing on Foucault's conception of his work as an intellectual ‘tool-box’, this response makes the case that different styles and frameworks can be suited to different issues and tasks. Exploring the merits of alternative approaches, it identifies some potential points of application and elaboration on the themes addressed by the other two texts.