Foucault was a French philosopher who strongly believed that power is formed within society. In the study of power, Foucault expressed that power is self-producing, situational, and can be directed in rules. Foucault discussed the main two powers which were Regulatory Power and Disciplinary Power in which they both determine how a person should be punished. As for Regulatory Power it consists of regulating the space and time of people through direct object, force, and control. Regulatory Power is considered as a form of direct or physical abuse such as violence. As for Disciplinary Power it is a self-policing power that becomes institutionalized such as the distribution of bodies in space and time. Foucault also included the distribution and space and time which were Enclosure; the specific or designated space, Partitioning in space; the role of having multiple spaces for the individuals to make it for supervision, useful; you can be viewed individually, and the fact that elements in the space are interchangeable and the elements are defined by the space itself. In today’s society a person who is considered to have power is most likely a person with capital or a higher ranking than others, or one who has a hierarchical classification status.
When I think Foucault intake on power I think of disciplinary power, and I think of how schools systems institutionally operate and how much of an effect it may have on children and how they end up viewing society. In school systems there are certain ways children may be disciplined other than using a direct force. As a child, one has to know the understanding of how to act, what to do, and what not to do in order not to be penalized for their wrong-doings. However, by these schools being institutionalized they may use methods such as excessive writing for a certain amount of time, being put in time-out, and also being excluded from extracurricular activities such as field trips or recess. Being that this method may be used within time, they would then know the concept of self-policing and knowing what they have done wrong and having that conscious of guilt before acting out negatively or doing something that one can get in trouble for. As far as using regulatory power, I highly believe that method would cause chaos and controversy amongst parents and the entire school system. As for the distribution of time and space, schools are considered the designated spaces, and the methods they use in the class room (classroom set-up, single-file lines, lunch and recess with that same class) are all forms of required partitioning space to where one can be easily viewed individually. The teachers have the power to run the classroom in their own form of fashion depicted some sort of power and by them being adults already puts them at an advantage to have hierarchical power.
A form of Regulatory Power I would consider the law enforcements, because they often times enforce the form of discipline through direct force. Their usage of direct force may be considered a bit demanding and being that they are socially ranked because of their authority, however, although they are known for abusing their authority, they are still known for having hierarchical power in society. A lot of law enforcement, police in particular, is known for using physical violence towards the defendant for their race, age, or one’s social classification throughout society. An example would be an incident that occurred in North County San Diego where an innocent man was brutally beaten and pepper sprayed mistakenly. A man by the name of Francisco was beaten because he held his hoody over his head and the cops thought as if he was trying to hide his identity from them. News reporters included that Francisco suffered from Down syndrome, and he felt frightened for his life. In this case the offender was completely innocent and terrified because he was unable to defend himself. Incidents in these cases happen all the time mainly because of the when it comes to the law enforcement; people feel a sense of hierarchal power.
Overall, in today’s society a person who is considered to have power is most likely someone with capital or who has a hierarchical status. Foucault’s study of power, in which he believes, is based off of a person hierarchical classification status or the knowledge one may have in order to gain that power. I used disciplinary power in order to introduce how the notion of power is based institutionalized originations such as schools systems and how their operations and methods of using discipline can reflects off of a child to gain that consciousness of guilt or knowing right from wrong. I also reflect on how the distribution of acts socially ties to the theory of knowledge and how it also ties to the example of schools. As for regulatory power it refers to hierarchical power, in which I used law enforcement and how they are known for having power, but some choose to abuse their authorities because of their ranking and the knowing that they will not be penalized for their actions makes it easier for them to act forcibly towards others . Foucault’s theory of power socially ties to institutions such as the government, schools, prisons, and concentration camps, but focuses on people or institutions that a systematically run these social organizations in a form of disciplinary and punishment.
Works Cited
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgV8L7oghK0
Foucault, Michel. “Discipline and Punishment” The Birth of Prison. A Division of Random House Inc. New York. Pg. 1-37.
Foucault, Michel. “The History of Sexuality” pg. 1-13
When I think Foucault intake on power I think of disciplinary power, and I think of how schools systems institutionally operate and how much of an effect it may have on children and how they end up viewing society. In school systems there are certain ways children may be disciplined other than using a direct force. As a child, one has to know the understanding of how to act, what to do, and what not to do in order not to be penalized for their wrong-doings. However, by these schools being institutionalized they may use methods such as excessive writing for a certain amount of time, being put in time-out, and also being excluded from extracurricular activities such as field trips or recess. Being that this method may be used within time, they would then know the concept of self-policing and knowing what they have done wrong and having that conscious of guilt before acting out negatively or doing something that one can get in trouble for. As far as using regulatory power, I highly believe that method would cause chaos and controversy amongst parents and the entire school system. As for the distribution of time and space, schools are considered the designated spaces, and the methods they use in the class room (classroom set-up, single-file lines, lunch and recess with that same class) are all forms of required partitioning space to where one can be easily viewed individually. The teachers have the power to run the classroom in their own form of fashion depicted some sort of power and by them being adults already puts them at an advantage to have hierarchical power.
A form of Regulatory Power I would consider the law enforcements, because they often times enforce the form of discipline through direct force. Their usage of direct force may be considered a bit demanding and being that they are socially ranked because of their authority, however, although they are known for abusing their authority, they are still known for having hierarchical power in society. A lot of law enforcement, police in particular, is known for using physical violence towards the defendant for their race, age, or one’s social classification throughout society. An example would be an incident that occurred in North County San Diego where an innocent man was brutally beaten and pepper sprayed mistakenly. A man by the name of Francisco was beaten because he held his hoody over his head and the cops thought as if he was trying to hide his identity from them. News reporters included that Francisco suffered from Down syndrome, and he felt frightened for his life. In this case the offender was completely innocent and terrified because he was unable to defend himself. Incidents in these cases happen all the time mainly because of the when it comes to the law enforcement; people feel a sense of hierarchal power.
Overall, in today’s society a person who is considered to have power is most likely someone with capital or who has a hierarchical status. Foucault’s study of power, in which he believes, is based off of a person hierarchical classification status or the knowledge one may have in order to gain that power. I used disciplinary power in order to introduce how the notion of power is based institutionalized originations such as schools systems and how their operations and methods of using discipline can reflects off of a child to gain that consciousness of guilt or knowing right from wrong. I also reflect on how the distribution of acts socially ties to the theory of knowledge and how it also ties to the example of schools. As for regulatory power it refers to hierarchical power, in which I used law enforcement and how they are known for having power, but some choose to abuse their authorities because of their ranking and the knowing that they will not be penalized for their actions makes it easier for them to act forcibly towards others . Foucault’s theory of power socially ties to institutions such as the government, schools, prisons, and concentration camps, but focuses on people or institutions that a systematically run these social organizations in a form of disciplinary and punishment.
Works Cited
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgV8L7oghK0
Foucault, Michel. “Discipline and Punishment” The Birth of Prison. A Division of Random House Inc. New York. Pg. 1-37.
Foucault, Michel. “The History of Sexuality” pg. 1-13