foucault by farij
TRANSCRIPT
- 1. Power, Ideological State Apparatuses & Others : Michel Foucault, Louis Althusser & Others Course: Cultural Studies May 11 & 18, 2014 [email protected]
- 2. Power : Michel Foucault Foucault argues a number of points in relation to power and offers definitions that are directly opposed to more traditional liberal and Marxist theories of power. What is power? According to Michel Foucault, Power is not an institution, and not a structure; neither is it a certain strength we are endowed with; it is the name that one attributes to a complex strategically situation in a particular society. Power is not a thing but a relation. We live in a Web of Power-Relations. Power operates at the most micro levels of social relations. Power is omnipresent at every level of the social body. [email protected]
- 3. Power(continued) Power is not simply a property of the State. Power is not something that is exclusively localized in government and the State (which is not a universal essence). Rather, power is exercised throughout the social body. Power is not simply repressive but it is productive. The individual is the product of power. Anti-Oedipus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia Where there is power, there is resistance. The History of Sexuality 1: An Introduction There is no glory in punishing. The History of Sexuality 1: An Introduction In its function, the power to punish is not essentially different from that of curing and educating. [email protected]
- 4. Types of power Disciplinary power Discipline is a mechanism of power which regulates the behaviour of individuals in the social body. Foucault specifies that when he speaks of a 'disciplinary society' he does not mean a 'disciplined society'. Sovereign power Sovereign power involves obedience to the law of the king or central authority figure. [email protected]
- 5. Types of power (continued) Bio-power Foucault argues that Bio-power is a technology which appeared in the late eighteenth century for managing populations. If Disciplinary power is about training the actions of bodies, Bio-power is about managing the births, deaths, reproduction and illnesses of a population. Pastoral power The idea of Pastoral power comes from the idea of politically organizing the day to day conduct of the population which is borrowed from the metaphor of the care of a shepherd for his flock and originated in Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Hebrew cultures. [email protected]
- 6. Power , Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses Foucault studied under Louis Althusser, an influential Marxist thinker, who examined the way social systems control human subjects. Michel Foucault Louis Althusser [email protected]
- 7. Three versions of ideology prevalent in Marxism: A system of beliefs characteristic to a particular class or group. (The proletariats project is the abolition of class based society) A system of illusory beliefs or false consciousness. (All classes or class positions other than that of the proletariat must be illusory) A system of producing meanings and ideas. (ideology is either process or the area of study) According to Raymond Williams Ideology hovers between a system of beliefs of a class and a system of illusory beliefs, false ideas or false consciousness, unscientific knowledge. [email protected]
- 8. Gramsci : Idea of Hegemony and Counter-hegemony The term Hegemony came from the writings of Karl Marx and was conceptualized by Antonio Gramsci. Hegemony is the political, economic, ideological or cultural power influenced by a dominant group over other groups. Counter-hegemony refers to attempts to critique or dismantle hegemonic power. Gramsci believed the media have always had a key role in teaching people to do things in their everyday lives that support the power structures. People look at how the media support power structures such as government, capitalism/corporations and patriarchy. Hegemony in the media encourage people to consent to status quo, meaning power structures so therefore the middle class have more power over working class or subalterns. [email protected]
- 9. Power , Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses (continued) Althusser Divides social institutions into two categories: 1. The Repressive State Apparatus: functions through violence (potential or actual) 2. The Ideological State Apparatus: functions through ideology (family, religion, education, law, political parties, trade unions, the arts, mass media). According to Althusser, the ISAs ensure the reproduction of the relations of production. [email protected]
- 10. School vs. Prison School Authoritarian structure Dress code Emphasize on silence and order Negative reinforcement Walk in lines Loss of individual autonomy Abridged freedoms No input in decision making Set time enforced for waking, eating etc. Prison Authoritarian structure Dress code Emphasize on silence and order Negative reinforcement Walk in lines Loss of individual autonomy Abridged freedoms No input in decision making Set time enforced for waking, eating etc.
- 11. Power , Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses (continued) Schools serve the same social functions as prisons and mental institutions- to define, classify, control, and regulate people. Michel Foucault Rabindranath Tagore also compared school education with prison , asylum and so on. Tagore said , , , , ( , ) = [email protected]
- 12. Thank You