The relationship between power and knowledge is central to Foucault’s work and theories. The simple power to punish is based on the supervision of the bodies throughout space and time. External and internal disciplines are all powers of the docile body. According to Foucault, the three major disciplines include:
1. The scale of control 2. Object of control 3. Modality Working in recreation has taught me the value and appreciation of the human body. Classes such as cross training, yoga, pilates and conditioning are performed to shape the body and transform the individual figure (whether it be for loosing weight, body toning, or spiritual reasons). Each class that I have taken or personally taught to people at my park is filled with different men and women of all ages and sizes. These individuals can be seen as “docile bodies” because they are the controlled bodies. I (or whoever is running the class) as the instructor would be the “discipline power” because I have the internal and external capability to make these individuals feel a certain way after they finish their workout class with me. I am the one that regulates their behavior and the molding actions of their bodies. Through discipline and self-control, there can be a changing or molding of the body, in which is explained by Foucault. Without discipline and self-control, the molding (or shaping) of the body would not occur. In this case the docile body is used (physically), transformed, and improved. The goals of these fitness classes are to shape the individual body and improve the figure. The control of time is also an important element for Foucault’s theory because it physically and mentally takes time to achieve fitness change or goals. In terms of Foucault’s three major disciplines of the docile body, we can start with the scale of control. This is treating the body as a sum of parts, in which the mentality is necessary to reach desired change within the body. The discipline of the object of control is as important because it is the manipulating the of movements and actions through repetition, Easy-you work out at these fitness classes twice a week by repeating after the instructor and you’re results will slowly follow. Last but not least, the discipline of modality is the notion of the body becoming improved. Modality is the notion of uninterrupted supervision. In my example I spoke of adults who are enrolled in an adult fitness class, but even though they are all grown adults they are still being supervised by either myself or another instructor. By being supervised they are uninterrupted from their workout and with time and space are allowed to proceed with their workout and shaping of the body. Foucault was born in 1926 and died in 1984 due to aids in France. He was a Catholic choir boy and ended as a social justice individual. Foucault draws from a wide range of disciplines such as; archaeology of pain, psychology, social theorist, and a constructionist. One of his main themes is institutional epistemology. In other words, we know what we know due to institutions we made. He takes an archaeology of knowledge approach and not history of ideas. This is so due to the fact that archaeology ignores history in regards to discourse. Foucault states that power is functional; through power one is able to get knowledge. Knowledge is what we know about something, and through knowledge an individual is able to discourse. Discourse is who speaks how he/she says it, in what context he/she says it, and what reactions does it make. This paper will focus on how power is present in our society and how it produces knowledge which then is able to produce discourse. On top of that how through Hitler one is able to see power. There are several examples on how power produces knowledge and how knowledge then produces discourse such as a choir boy. A young boy is not able to go to a music school unless he has some kind of power of singing and his parents are able to pay for his school. If he attains a good voice and his parents are able to pay for his school he is then able to gain knowledge by his instructors and by him practicing his songs that he will perform at a concert. This young boy then is able to produce discourse by learning the song in which he also received help by his instructor and then is able to communicate his song to his audience. We are then able to understand how an individual must attain money, a personal attainment such as a good voice, knowledge, and then the ability to communicate the song to the audience. Therefore, power is at times given or one must gain it. Power then produces knowledge and then turns into a discourse just as this young boy did when he was singing his song to his public. Foucault also mentions four main points about power. One, power is not an object because there are unequal relationships. Second, power is productive, it produces things. Third, power is both positive and negative, it can produce and destroy. Lastly power is intentional; power is guided for a goal. One example of this is Adolf Hitler; it is amazing how one individual is able to move thousands of people. Through his power he gain young adults to produce what he wanted which for me was just power. On top of all, his type of power is very negative he killed many individuals, and caused so much emotional pain to the nation. Adolf Hitler also caused pain to the young men he forced to take into his group to gain power of Germany. His power was intentional because it affected specific types of groups Jews, homosexuals, the physical and mentally disable among others. He wanted to expand Germany and get rid of many of the groups mentioned above. Hitler then is a great example of how power can be productive, he gain so many individuals to join his crew and produce so much harm to its opponents. Hitler produced a negative type of power and his power was intentional, he attacked specific groups to gain control and expand Germany. Finally, power then is gain or at times given, with power one is able to produce knowledge and with knowledge one produces discourse. Power attains four main point which are; it is not an object, is productive, it can produce and destroy, and it is intentional. We are able to understand these two main points about power through the two examples given, one being with the choir boy and how he gets knowledge to produce his singing to the audience. And how Hitler produce negative power and killed so many lives of innocent people for his intentional purpose to gain power and expand Germany. In Discipline and Punish, Michel Foucault theorizes that disciplinary power can be applied to docile bodies through three techniques: scale of control, object of control, and modality. Foucault also discusses control of activity through time-table, temporal elaboration of the act, correlation of the body and the gesture, body-object articulation, and exhaustive use. When these concepts are combined it is possible for docile bodies to be subjected, used, transformed and improved through disciplinary power (p.136). These concepts can be used to train docile bodies in the art of singing.
American Idol reintroduced the concept of talent search with a fusion of reality television that allowed viewers to select their “idol.” Unfortunately, the preselected contestants rarely have much knowledge or training in music and singing. This was not true of every contestant, but there were very few, if any, contestants with a music degree or extended music education. Even when the judges critiqued the performances, they mainly spoke of their preferences and generalized their analysis. Typically, the most in-depth they would go would be to say a performer was “pitchy.” Other than that, judges on American Idol did not address many of the other aspects of singing. Foucault’s principles can be applied to concepts in What Every Singer Needs to Know About the Body by Melissa Malde, Mary Jean Allen, and Kurt-Alexander Zeller. In the singing process, there’s the idea of scale of control. Although the body acts as a whole while singing, the body can be treated as many individual parts. First, posture is very important. Everyone has the image of standing up straight the way a soldier would in formation. This might be similar to standing up straight with your back against the wall. For singing, proper posture requires ankle joints, knee joints, hip joints, arm structure, and head are all aligned. Proper alignment requires the singer to stand with knee joints slightly released from the locked position, while the hip joint is un-tucked which means singer has the sensation of feeling like they are leaning forward while the arm structure and shoulders are relaxed which is different than how a solider is standing because the chest cavity is not pushed out. This position allows the singer’s diaphragm to freely move which in turn allows the singer to get a deeper breath. The singer is using the diaphragm for breath control instead of using the shoulder and chest to draw a breath. When a singer is breathing properly, it appears that the torso is expanding when breath is drawn in and there is very minimal shoulder movement. While posture is important, proper breathing is also necessary. A singer should never “tank up” or take in more breath than is necessary to sing a phrase because this creates unnecessary tension and leads to fatigue (p.70). “Breathing for singing involves the entire torso. Without the coordinated movement of diaphragm, intercostals, abdominals, and pelvic floor, a good singing breath is impossible” (p.70). Next, “sound is generated by the vocal folds and resonated in the chamber of air defined by the vocal tract” (p.108). This means that proper placement of the tongue inside the mouth and the shape of the mouth is necessary to for cleanest sound. The hard and soft palate within the mouth moves to create a chamber that allows for sound to resonate and for vibrato to come through as long there is no tension in the vocal tract and the jaw. Each individual part must be controlled and work together as a whole for in order for a singer to produce the best signing voice. Foucault’s ideas on control of activity can be applied to singing through the repetition needed to perfect the singing process. All parts of the body, from posture, breathing and position of mouth must be repeatedly practiced and sound must be matched to a tuned instrument, usually a piano, in order to make sure the singer is properly and accurately producing the correct sound. There are more in-depth aspects to signing, but this brief overview clearly shows how Foucault’s ideas about how disciplinary power applied to docile bodies and control of activities can be demonstrated in the singing process. Foucault’s theory of power states that power is produced by an unequal relationship created with intentions in mind. I instantly thought about the unequal power relationship between men and women in society. Patriarchy, which implies that men rule and have privilege while women are subordinate, is what our society bases the ‘standard’ male or female. After taking a class that looked at gender from a sociological perspective, I learned about gender boxes and how patriarchy negatively effects both men and women. The gender box can be defined as characteristics or adjectives meant to describe males or females. If men and women do not abide by the rules of their appropriate box, they are seen as deviant and not normal to society. Society successfully polices individuals into maintaining their gender box.
Foucault claims sexuality is part of power because its standards are taught and reinforced in institutions such as the home, in schools, in hospital and so on. A good example of this is when babies are born, pink items are given to show the baby is a girl and blue items are displayed for boys. From birth, gender is reinforced subconsciously. Another example would be in grade school when lining up to go to the bathroom or any other place in school, educators and teachers always separate students into two lines: boys and girls. Making the differences known between the binary genders of society makes individuals soon learn how to act as male or female. And of course we have also been taught that there are only two genders, which is not the case. In fact, I did not realize how gendered our society was until after taking that sociology class and reading Alan Johnson book Gender Outlaws. Johnson talks about patriarchy and the gender roles and boxes set in place by society for us to follow. We, ourselves, are good at policing others into their correct gender. Take for instance advertising of certain products. When watching television, pay attention to how they advertise products meant for females and products meant for males. There are major differences such as the language they use, the colors they use and also the emotion used varies. Men hold the power, in most relationships, over women and over some men, for example your boss. Usually men are the ones in positions of power also. Majority of men are in politics, are CEO’s or just the head of any business operation. If you are not any of these however, you are more than likely in an unequal power relationship. Patriarchy and gender boxes puts a strain on this relationship between males and females especially. An individual can experience harm if they do not their stereotype. Some solutions to this would be to take the path of greater resistance as Johnson explains it. This means not taking the same route as everyone else and taking a stand for what you believe in. For instance, if someone tells a sexist joke, but you do not think it is funny, do not laugh. Taking the path of lesser resistance would mean you only laugh because others laugh in order to look normal. This is harder than it sounds but over the years I can say that I take the path of lesser resistance. Just the other day I was watching Fashion Police with Joan Rivers and she makes a lot of racial jokes. In the past I may have laughed, but I no longer find these type of jokes funny so I did not laugh. In fact, I kept thinking to myself “That’s not funny…” to almost every joke she said. I contribute the knowledge I gained from being in college to this. Hopefully others will soon learn to not police individuals into certain gender boxes so we can work on breaking down Foucault’s idea of power. MJ Michel Foucault was a French social theorist that had many ideas that focused on power. One of his most interesting works was the panopticon. A panopticon is a structure that is most commonly associated with a prison. It consists of a round room with a tower in the middle that you cannot see in to. In the case of a prison this is used to control the inmates by making them unaware of when they are being watched. Foucault used the panopticon as a metaphor for disciplinary societies that want to control its people. To do this they do not need jail cells, instead they use constant surveillance by the use of cameras and other tools. They want to gain power by watching us so that we become more accepting of the rules. We do not want to break the rules because if we are seen then we can be punished. When thinking about a panopticon like Foucault describes the first thing I think of is the United Kingdom. In the UK they have set up many cameras in city streets to monitor the public. These cameras have microphones so that they can hear people, and speakers so that they can talk back to people. There is also facial recognition software that can tell who you are when you are on camera. A ban on wearing hoodies and caps was also considered so that people could not conceal their identities while doing something wrong. If that is not bad enough they also wanted to put tracking devices on every car so that they could be tracked at any time. For a time citizens were also required to carry a national ID card that kept private information about them in a national registry. It had things like their fingerprints, facial and iris scans, and current and previous residences. It also kept a history of things like police records, medical history, and DNA structure. The national ID cards were used from 2006 until 2010 when a bill was passed that got rid of them and the data in the national registry. These forms of tracking and surveillance were supposed to be used to prevent crime and terrorism, but many felt like it was an excuse to gather information and keep control over them. It is easy to see how the intense surveillance used in the United Kingdom is similar to Foucault’s ideas about the panopticon. In the panopticon you cannot tell if someone is watching you, and in the UK you never know if someone is watching you. There cannot be someone watching every camera that is placed on every street, but no one wants to take that chance. It will make most people afraid to commit crimes and maybe even afraid to talk about certain things in public. An example of how this is social control and not stopping terrorism can be seen in the Madrid train bombings. In 2004 a person was able to board a train using a state ID card, similar to the ones being used in the UK, and set off a bomb. The card held so much information about the person, but he was still able to get on and cause harm. While the constant monitoring might make some people feel safer I think that it is a violation of people’s privacy. You cannot replace police work with cameras because a camera will not stop something that is already happening. There are also ways around everything. If a similar idea was proposed in Chicago I know I would be against it. Bad things are going to happen, and if they are not out in the open they will be behind closed doors. We need to draw the line between freedom and security and remember that power goes both ways. Yes the government might have power over the people, but together the people have power over the government.
As the Supreme Court contests the constitutionality of Proposition 8, a series of questions come to mind. For one, why does the institution of marriage have traces with heteronormativity? Is there hope for redefining legal marriage through discourse? And why is sexuality even a political issue? Michel Foucault provides answers to these questions. Foucault’s view on sexuality history sheds light to why government engages in matters of sexuality. In the History of Sexuality, Foucault wrote on the shift from power based on the “right to take life or let live” to bio-power, the administration of life itself. Bio-power involves two forms of subjugations: discipline as to how body and energy is to be utilized, and regulations of populations. Sex allows for addressing “to the body, to life, [as with disciplinary power and] to what causes it to proliferate, to what reinforces the species [as with regulatory power]” (Foucault, pg 147). Hence, the state and institutions assert their bio-power, in one way, through restrictions on sexuality and its discourse. So, it has been established the means through which the government legitimatize its right to oversee issues of sexuality and demark the legal boundaries of marriage. But what institution has had greater power in defining marriage? It lies in the Church and prevalence of ideology that continues to be perpetuated through discourse. From an orthodox religious view, marriage is seen in one form, that of heterosexuality. It is taught and reproduced as to create in more minds conforming to that view. However, there is hope for change. In blog entry When Morality Left the Gay Marriage Debate, David Fontana talks about how judges have used less moral denunciations in the debate of gay marriage. Previous debates had been seen in terms of morality and condemnation on moral grounds. However, Fontana considers the language used in early April to be neutral. For instance, Fontana mentions Charles Cooper using the argument that it is difficult to foresee consequences of gay marriage. It justified being cautious with legalizing gay marriage. The topic with mentions how the language used is a notable victory for allies and the LGTBQ community. It was mostly grounded on attempt to look at empirical consequences as opposed to moral standpoint. How does this tie back Foucault concept of discourse? Foucault mentioned that those in power control the knowledge and the discourse. It also works the other way around. Discourse can help shape knowledge and redistribute power. So, the improvement in discussion during the Supreme Court discussion can signal two things. One, the discourse is being shaped differently. Since the language comes from influential individuals, the discourse can change the knowledge and view on the topic. Second, it can result in a ruling in favor of legalizing gay marriage. It is a possibility. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-fontana/when-morality-left-the-ga_b_2992284.html Bikram yoga was created in the late 20th century and has been growing in popularity in the last decade. This stringent style of yoga consistent of the same number of postures practiced in the same exact sequence while standing in a room heated to the same temperature, each time. Bikram’s strict enforcement of rules on students has caused quite a stir in the yoga community. This style of yoga, while loved by many, has had many critics deem it unsafe. So, you may be asking who would subject themselves to 90 minutes in a 105°F room?
Foucault might describe the student’s in these classrooms as numbers of docile bodies and in this case the instructors are the source of disciplinary power, or a regulator of behavior (187). Using Foucault’s concept of the docile body gives a unique perspective on the practice of Bikram yoga. He described the docile body as pliable, subject to being used, transformed and ultimately improved. Foucault wrote that this molding was done through discipline or self-control which can be exercised both internally and externally (190). There is a sense of control over the body and the body becomes a tool for performing a specific action. Each time students step foot into a Bikram class they are becoming docile bodies. Foucault’s work discusses three specific principles for controlling the docile body, all of which are prevalent in a Bikram environment. The first area of concern is the “scale of control,” or treating the body as a sum of parts (189). One must manipulate the parts in order to improve the whole. The goal of a Bikram class is to strengthen the body, increase flexibility and maintain a clear mind. All three of these goals have a certain ideal of improvement that the students should strive for. Through the use of unique postures that are challenging different areas of the body at different times during the class, this Bikram sequence works individual areas of the body with the goal of improving the overall body. The second principle for controlling the docile body puts emphasis on the “object of control.” Within this principle Foucault discusses the importance of manipulating movements through repetition (189). Bikram yoga is all about repetition. Each class the students will go through the same series of 26 postures in the same order, holding each pose for the same amount of time. The teachers of these classes strictly impose the sequence but after a few classes the students know what is coming next and will go there without instruction. This action is an example of the self policing concept discussed by Foucault, no longer does the teacher have to watch the student but the student has now internalized these expectations and perpetuates the value of a perfect half pigeon pose or triangle pose on their own will. This last point touches upon the last principle for controlling the docile body which focuses on “modality.” It is through repetition and uninterrupted constant cohersion and supervision that the body becomes pliable and ultimately improved (189). In Bikram this is seen as soon as the student’s are checked into class. There is a sign in sheet holding them accountable and constant supervision and direction is given during class. Some instructors even single out beginners. And while one on one attention is needed at first, as the student comes to more classes they need less attention and begin to go through the motions without much thought. Yoga isn’t necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when we think of a disciplinary power, but through the use of Foucault’s concept of the docile body and his principles for enforcing the docile body we begin to see Bikram yoga in a unique way. After thinking about the unconscious controlling effects yoga has on our bodies, what other athletic activities or workouts create and enforce docile bodies? Are there any that don’t? "I cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg. Unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid, aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whoutit a pboerlm. Tihs is bucseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey ltteer by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt! See if yuor fdreins can raed tihs too."
Foucault’s theory discusses that a docile body is a process that can be performed at its highest state. By pushing one’s body beyond its daily or natural use with repetitive discipline then the use of the body will expand beyond its “normal” functions. One must manipulate their “parts” in order to begin the docile body stages, but before manipulating these “parts” a breakdown of these parts must happen. This is so that instead of a broader understanding there can be a better focus on the parts that are being manipulated. While the manipulation process begins repetitiveness, or “exercise”, also is an important factor in the docile body. The repetitiveness is necessary in order to normalize the manipulative behavior within the breakdown of each part. Lastly, during the process of a docile body one must have “uninterrupted supervision.” By being supervised it provides the body with a constant reminder of having to exercise the parts and by not doing so there will be a decrease in the desired results. Being a nanny I found it interesting that I can apply Foucault’s theory to the children that I watch and certain activities that we do together. I have been with the children that I watch since before they can read. When I first started as their nanny I was told that the children were in the process of learning how to read. Every day they had a reading packet that was designed to help them learn their letters and how to make the sounds for each letter. By applying Foucault’s theory I can break down the learning process of reading into different parts. The first phase would be getting the children familiar with identifying the letter and what sound goes with each letter. After they master phase one then the next step of different sound that same letter can make. For example, short A E I O U or long A E I O U, “ch” or “th”, etc and the many more different sound letters can make in different words. Once the children are able to identify the different ways of pronouncing words then they begin to identify the different types of sentences or punctuations needed within the sentences. All these are different “parts” that they are training their brains to remember by repetitively practicing on a daily basis. I am there nanny/tutor and am with them throughout the duration of their reading lessons. I do not help unless the kids are distracted or are pronouncing words wrong. This is so that they are able to reach their goal on their own, but I sometimes remind them that concentration in needed in order to finish and master learning how to read. The desire of this is so the children can read just as adults to. When one has the ability to read without assistance we can read things automatically especially when the brain has become familiar with the words. Panopticism is a social theory that was developed by French sociologist Michel Foucault. His theory was based on Jeremy Bentham’s principle of the panopticon. A panopticon is a circular prison with cells arranged around a central well, from which prisoners could at all times be observed. It was designed to make the guards inside invisible to the prisoners, who therefore weren’t able to distinguish whether they were being watched or not. The purpose of this was not only to increase security but also to facilitate more effective surveillance. It mentally trained the prisoners to behave a certain way because of the idea they were being watched. An example of everyday panopticism would be when people auto police themselves. Whether or not the police are present people still abide by the rules. Drivers are mentally trained to make a complete stop when they see a stop sign or drive at a certain speed. They are aware that if they break the traffic laws, the consequences follow. It can occur while an individual is shopping. We know that we shouldn’t steal store items because not only people are watching us but surveillance cameras are too. We also learn to self discipline ourselves when it comes down to social networking. The social media is very important to many individuals. The reason being is because people are able to reconnect with long lost friends, share pictures/videos, and use social media for entertainment. We visibly share news with others whether it’s through a Facebook status, a tweet, or a picture thru Instagram. Thru the social media we are able to express ourselves but sometimes we should be careful of what we post because of the fact that everyone is able to see it no matter if it’s public or private. What we share in the media can disgust, offend, amuse, or even threat the crowd. This reminds me of an article that was trending on my Twitter newsfeed on a Thursday night. Alyssa Douglas, a 16 year-old teen from Ohio, tweeted “someone should assassinate President Barack Obama ASAP”. An investigation was ordered because it was seen as a potential threat. It came to the point where Alyssa Douglas and her family had to meet with Secret Services the following day. Her reputation, her chance of getting a job, and her life took a wrong turn for the worst all because of a tweet. We are aware that we are supposed to behave in a certain way while social networking. On a personal level, I always think twice before posting a picture or a status because once it’s posted online it will forever be there. What if my boss sees this? What if my little brother shows my mother my check-in at the bar? This creates a discipline on your actions, thoughts, and behavior. If your boss was to see a Facebook picture rolling a blunt full of weed then you shouldn’t be surprised when he dismisses you the next day. It is important to be cautious about what we share in the social media. So before you post something online take a second and think about it because you never know who’s at the other end of the computer watching it. |
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April 2014
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