Foucault and the Theories of Power and Identity Essay

Foucault believed that power is never in any one persons hands, it does not show itself in any obvious manner but rather as something that works its way into our imaginations and serves to constrain how we act. For example in the setting of a workplace the power does not pass from the top down; instead it circulates through their organizational practices. Such practices act like a grid, provoking and inciting certain courses of action and denying others. Foucault considers this as no straightforward matter and believes that it rests on how far individuals interpret what is being laid down as obvious or self evident, institutional power works best when all parties accept it willingly. Foucaults notion of power is a difficult notion to†¦show more content†¦In that sense power acts as a positive force as oppose to a negative one; it enables people to control their own lives. Although power is seen as an unrestricted issue it is still viewed by Foucault as a stabilising force th at leaves little room for manoeuvre, the way in which this is done is by, for example, a workplace closing down possibilities, inciting or inducing a certain course of action as oppose to proliferating them, this is the way in which they keep a hold on peoples lives, ordering them in a particular direction. It is at this point, Foucault argues, where the workforce feels as if they are being monitored, that they bring themselves into line and assume the role that has been indirectly carved out for them.2 In other terms power works on and through agents in ways which structurally limit what they otherwise might have done.3 This method of domination is that it is through people working on their own conduct that they bring themselves to order. At the level of the ongoing running of institutions on a day-to-day basis, individuals internalise what is expected of them because it seems the right and proper thing to do. If this sounds less than total domination, that isShow MoreRelatedAnalys is Of Foucault And Queer Theory 1211 Words   |  5 PagesIn Foucault and Queer Theory Spargo defines queer theory as a nebulous group of cultural criticism and analysis of social power structures relating to sexuality . It is these power structures and aspects of culture that are responsible for the discourse that creates and informs ones understanding of gender, race, and sexuality. However these aspects of identity do not exist separately from one another, but are constructed in tandem throughout history. These layers of identity inform each otherRead MoreButler and Foucault: A Revision of Power Essay1268 Words   |  6 Pages Both Foucault and Butler claim that sexuality is not what makes us who we are, that it is simply a social construct. In addition, they both believe that by submitting to the mechanisms of power and categorizing ourselves sexually, we are giving impetus to our own subjugation. While they hold similar beliefs in many ways, and much of Judith Butlers wo rk is building upon work done by Michael Foucault, Judith Butler does diverge from Foucaults ideas. The reason Butler revises Foucault is that hisRead MoreEvaluation of the Usefulness of Selected Examples of Foucaults Theory951 Words   |  4 PagesWithin this paper, I shall evaluate the usefulness of selected examples of Foucault’s theories from a feminist perspective. To begin, a short introduction will outline the era in which Foucault wrote, as this has been seen as influential to his work, inspiring him to move away from the former ideological ways of thinking about the world (Taylor and Vintges 2004, Mills 1997). I shall then go on to consider the changing nature of feminism, which has moved on from viewing patriarchy and men as the oppressorsRead MoreLiterary And Cultural Theory During The Modern And Postmodern Period1539 Words   |  7 PagesTheories investigating subjectivity have dominated the field of literary and cultural theory during the modern and postmodern period. The way we understand subjectivity effects the way we understand the world around us, whether the subject is viewed in the Cartesian manner as a fixed entity, with a pre-existing nature that is not affected by the discourses that surround the it, or if we view the subject as one produced in and through the forces of power available in the time period, whether theyRead MoreCompare and Contrast Goffman’s and Foucault’s Explanations of How Social Order Is Made and Remade1615 Words   |  7 PagesThere are many theories regarding how social order is produced and reproduced , but this essay will focus on the similarities and differences between the two contrasting accounts of how social order is produced, provided by Goffman and Foucault. Social order is the term used to describe the unspoken rules of conduct in everyday life, or a stable social situation in which connections are maintained without change or if change occurs it is in a predictable way. (Taylor, 200 9, p. 173) These differingRead MoreGramscis And Foucaults Notions of Power1471 Words   |  6 PagesPower is a concept that is at the core of issues regarding social stratification (Scott Marshall, 2009). Therefore there have been many debates regarding what this concept of power actually means. For Gramsci, power needs to be considered legitimate by those who are subject to it, and the legitimacy of power is gained through the manipulation of social norms (Scott Marshall, 2009). This manipulation of social norms, links to Gramsci’s notion of ideological hegemony. Gramsci uses hegemony to showRead MoreGay And Homosexual Identity : Is It Defined As A Person?1495 Words   |  6 Pagesdesires toward another of the same sex† (Merriam-Webster). Nonetheless, movies, books, television shows, and other forms of media evidently display that we have become a society that defines homosexual identity in relation or opposition to heterosexual identity. The emphasis on heterosexu al identity as the norm forces males to exaggerate or display more of their masculine traits to stay with heterosexual stereotype. The popular television series, Glee, contributes to evidence of society definingRead MoreThe Theory Of The Birth Territory Theory Essay907 Words   |  4 PagesThe theory I selected to apply to the above situation is the Birth Territory theory. This theory was created from empirical data collected by the authors who serve as both midwives and researchers. It has a critical post-structural feminist undertone and elaborates on the ideas of Michel Foucault. The Birth Territory theory predicts and elaborates on the relationships between jurisdiction (use of authority and influence), terrain (the birthing environment), and personal emotional and physiologicalRead MoreCompare and Contrast Goffman and Focaults’ Explanations of How Social Order Is Made and Remade1698 Words   |  7 Pagesrelating and behaving. Social change provides the rules and regul ations for what is ‘normal behaviour’ at the present time. This assignment incorporates the contrasts and comparisons of how social order is made and remade through the theories of Erving Goffman and Michael Foucault. This sentence is a bit complex—why not say this assignment compares and contrasts the work of ---In order to illustrate this, two case studies of traffic regulation, ‘The Buchanan report’ and ‘ Monderman’s thesis’ will be usedRead MoreTopic . The Goals Of My Research Strive To Assess The Biopolitical1457 Words   |  6 Pagescritical issues concerning the composition of national and ethnic identity rise to the fore. Singapore, a nation state with an incredibly strong relationship to immigrant labour and a complex history of reproductive management, provides a pertinent case for the analysis of how governing state power-structures systematically other and stratify the reproduction of migrant populations. Research Questions: 1) How have governing state power structures functioned to create a hierarchy of otherness in Singapore