Michel Foucault was a French philosopher and social theorist that concentrated on the relationship between power and knowledge. He focused closely on how these concepts are used as a form of control in society through different institutions that are embedded within our society. To Foucault, power causes knowledge, which then causes discourse. He expressed through his text that power can be productive and that it can produce things within people as well as allowing people to become disciplined. According to Foucault, power is permanent and self-reproducing which means that those who obtain power in the beginning will most likely continue to have power in the future. He also goes in great detail about the concept of knowledge and explains it as essentially being what we know and how we know it. In the concept of discourse, he explains that power also depends on the context in which it is presented. For example, when something is said, the person that says it, the reaction to what has been said and how it is said is important in relation to power. In addition, Foucault explains that power controls language production.
Going deeper into his analysis and explanation of power, Foucault defines two concepts as it relates to power: regulatory power and disciplinary power. In his text about discipline and punishment, Foucault explains regulatory power as being the type of power that uses direct force and direct control. In his text he uses the actions of how a sick person would be treated if a plague were to break out as an example of regulatory power. He explains that essentially, these sick people will be isolated and brought back to their homes by the people of power. When talking about regulatory power, it is usually enforced by the act of physical violence (however, this may not always be the case). In other words, the reason why people know what response they should have towards authority is due to there being a visible and present force presented.
In addition to regulatory power, Foucault explains the concept of disciplinary power. He describes disciplinary power as being self-policing and it’s a type of power that becomes internalized. Disciplinary power takes time to occur which means that it doesn’t happen spontaneously and it creates a docile body. According to Foucault, a docile body is a body that is easily managed and transformed which then makes it easily controlled.
Society is shifting from regulatory power to disciplinary power and an example of these powers can be exhibited through the historical era of 1876-1965 when the Jim Crow Laws were embedded within society. The Jim Crow Laws were racial segregation laws that were enforced in the United States at the state as well as the local level. The Jim Crow Laws caused the “separate but equal” status for African Americans, which caused African Americas to be looked upon and treated as less than the white Americans in their society. Some examples of the Jim Crow laws that were often exhibited within society during this time period was the segregation enforced in the public schools, public restrooms and even on public transportation. In addition, white and blacks often had different restaurants and different water fountains. Workplaces and the military were also segregated during the time that the Jim Crow laws were enforced within society.
The Jim Crow Laws provides a clear example of regulatory power as well as disciplinary power. The way that the Jim Crow laws exhibit regulatory power is through the physical actions and measurers that were taken when an African American didn’t follow the unfair segregation laws that were enforced. Often, during this time period, when blacks did not follow the rules they would be physically attacked by law enforcement or even white citizens that may have witnessed or heard about the law they broke.
Some of the popular examples that many know when focusing on racial activism during this time period is the story of Rosa Parks on the bus and the story of the first black child to attend an all white elementary school in the South; Ruby Bridges. After a long day at work, an African American woman by the name of Rosa Parks was asked to give up her seat for a white passenger on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She expressed to the bus driver that she didn’t feel as if she should have to move and when asked, she refused to give up her seat. This then caused her to be arrested by the police and charged with a violation of the Chapter 6, Section 11 segregation law of the Montgomery City Code. Another example is Rudy Bridges. She was the first black girl to go to an all white elementary school in New Orleans. As a result of this, Rudy was ridiculed, mistreated and harassed by white students, parents and even teachers. These examples show the action of regulatory power because with Rosa Parks and Rudy Bridges, physical force was visible and apparent which then caused direct control of the power enforced upon the people during this time. Due to people (typically blacks) seeing horrible things like this happen to those who essentially disobeyed the rules, this then caused them to abide by the rules. Because the blacks during this time did not want to be physically abused, tortured, mistreated, etc. by whomever for not abiding by the specific laws or even the signs that told them which bathroom was there’s (for example), their power became internalized and they began to self police themselves.
Going deeper into his analysis and explanation of power, Foucault defines two concepts as it relates to power: regulatory power and disciplinary power. In his text about discipline and punishment, Foucault explains regulatory power as being the type of power that uses direct force and direct control. In his text he uses the actions of how a sick person would be treated if a plague were to break out as an example of regulatory power. He explains that essentially, these sick people will be isolated and brought back to their homes by the people of power. When talking about regulatory power, it is usually enforced by the act of physical violence (however, this may not always be the case). In other words, the reason why people know what response they should have towards authority is due to there being a visible and present force presented.
In addition to regulatory power, Foucault explains the concept of disciplinary power. He describes disciplinary power as being self-policing and it’s a type of power that becomes internalized. Disciplinary power takes time to occur which means that it doesn’t happen spontaneously and it creates a docile body. According to Foucault, a docile body is a body that is easily managed and transformed which then makes it easily controlled.
Society is shifting from regulatory power to disciplinary power and an example of these powers can be exhibited through the historical era of 1876-1965 when the Jim Crow Laws were embedded within society. The Jim Crow Laws were racial segregation laws that were enforced in the United States at the state as well as the local level. The Jim Crow Laws caused the “separate but equal” status for African Americans, which caused African Americas to be looked upon and treated as less than the white Americans in their society. Some examples of the Jim Crow laws that were often exhibited within society during this time period was the segregation enforced in the public schools, public restrooms and even on public transportation. In addition, white and blacks often had different restaurants and different water fountains. Workplaces and the military were also segregated during the time that the Jim Crow laws were enforced within society.
The Jim Crow Laws provides a clear example of regulatory power as well as disciplinary power. The way that the Jim Crow laws exhibit regulatory power is through the physical actions and measurers that were taken when an African American didn’t follow the unfair segregation laws that were enforced. Often, during this time period, when blacks did not follow the rules they would be physically attacked by law enforcement or even white citizens that may have witnessed or heard about the law they broke.
Some of the popular examples that many know when focusing on racial activism during this time period is the story of Rosa Parks on the bus and the story of the first black child to attend an all white elementary school in the South; Ruby Bridges. After a long day at work, an African American woman by the name of Rosa Parks was asked to give up her seat for a white passenger on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She expressed to the bus driver that she didn’t feel as if she should have to move and when asked, she refused to give up her seat. This then caused her to be arrested by the police and charged with a violation of the Chapter 6, Section 11 segregation law of the Montgomery City Code. Another example is Rudy Bridges. She was the first black girl to go to an all white elementary school in New Orleans. As a result of this, Rudy was ridiculed, mistreated and harassed by white students, parents and even teachers. These examples show the action of regulatory power because with Rosa Parks and Rudy Bridges, physical force was visible and apparent which then caused direct control of the power enforced upon the people during this time. Due to people (typically blacks) seeing horrible things like this happen to those who essentially disobeyed the rules, this then caused them to abide by the rules. Because the blacks during this time did not want to be physically abused, tortured, mistreated, etc. by whomever for not abiding by the specific laws or even the signs that told them which bathroom was there’s (for example), their power became internalized and they began to self police themselves.