Two main topics Foucalt talks about are disciplinary power and docile bodies. Disciplinary power is power over a population through monitoring and surveillance rather than violence of force. Disciplinary power creates docile bodies. Docile bodies moldable bodies created through internal and external discipline. Institutions are used to create docile bodies. Two examples that Foucalt uses are prisons and schools. In these institutions individuals learn discipline and police themselves. However, regardless of how well we can discipline ourselves, when no watching, it is human nature to deter from the norms we usually practice.
In class we discussed how children learn what is acceptable behavior in a school setting through constant supervision of a teacher. Once students learn to police themselves, supervision can be removed. This means that the teacher will trust that students will behave – even when he or she is not present. The video I attached is an experiment that was done to test if children are fair when no one is watching. At first the facilitator comes in and separates the chocolate bars evenly, the child is then given the opportunity to decide if one child should have more than the other or just throw away the extra bar. All of the children decide to throw away the candy because they said it would be unfair. For this first trial, the children know the facilitators are aware of how much chocolate there is – so someone is watching. The first round would relate to Foucalt’s idea of disciplinary power and docile bodies. All children learn the idea of equality. Even when it comes to something like chocolate, they discipline themselves by doing the “right thing”. The first round of the experiment displays how children, like in schools, can become docile bodies. However, in the second round, the children are given the chance to get more candy when no one is watching. If these children were truly disciplined, then again they should have been able to resist taking more candy than the other person. When the decision to either get more chocolate or throw it away presents itself, many of the children hesitate. In the end, the majority of the children opt to get the extra candy – which would mean that they were being unfair, going completely against what they had said earlier. The only difference between the two rounds of the experiment is that the children thought they were being watched. So perhaps human beings are not so easy to succumb to disciplinary power.
In the work place, docile bodies are always present. Workers come in, learn how things work, and follow the rules. Personally at my place of work, sometimes I am the last one left with no supervision. Although there is no one there watching me, I still continue to work, partly because there is a possibility that my boss could return and see that I am not doing anything. This exemplifies disciplinary power and docile bodies. These institutions cause us to exhibit self-policing behavior so that people stick to their tasks and do “the right thing” – or what we have been taught is the right thing. This is different from forcing someone to do something. If someone is forced to do something as opposed to willfully doing it, there will be a difference in productivity. This plays into the goal of docile bodies – ultimate improvement.
Disciplinary power is definitely present in our daily lives. We have come to discipline ourselves through daily activities. Although this power is held over us, there are times when we do not self-police and go against what we have learned to do. So when no is watching, how do you behave?
Video: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-57551552-10391709/is-your-child-fair-when-no-one-is-watching/
In class we discussed how children learn what is acceptable behavior in a school setting through constant supervision of a teacher. Once students learn to police themselves, supervision can be removed. This means that the teacher will trust that students will behave – even when he or she is not present. The video I attached is an experiment that was done to test if children are fair when no one is watching. At first the facilitator comes in and separates the chocolate bars evenly, the child is then given the opportunity to decide if one child should have more than the other or just throw away the extra bar. All of the children decide to throw away the candy because they said it would be unfair. For this first trial, the children know the facilitators are aware of how much chocolate there is – so someone is watching. The first round would relate to Foucalt’s idea of disciplinary power and docile bodies. All children learn the idea of equality. Even when it comes to something like chocolate, they discipline themselves by doing the “right thing”. The first round of the experiment displays how children, like in schools, can become docile bodies. However, in the second round, the children are given the chance to get more candy when no one is watching. If these children were truly disciplined, then again they should have been able to resist taking more candy than the other person. When the decision to either get more chocolate or throw it away presents itself, many of the children hesitate. In the end, the majority of the children opt to get the extra candy – which would mean that they were being unfair, going completely against what they had said earlier. The only difference between the two rounds of the experiment is that the children thought they were being watched. So perhaps human beings are not so easy to succumb to disciplinary power.
In the work place, docile bodies are always present. Workers come in, learn how things work, and follow the rules. Personally at my place of work, sometimes I am the last one left with no supervision. Although there is no one there watching me, I still continue to work, partly because there is a possibility that my boss could return and see that I am not doing anything. This exemplifies disciplinary power and docile bodies. These institutions cause us to exhibit self-policing behavior so that people stick to their tasks and do “the right thing” – or what we have been taught is the right thing. This is different from forcing someone to do something. If someone is forced to do something as opposed to willfully doing it, there will be a difference in productivity. This plays into the goal of docile bodies – ultimate improvement.
Disciplinary power is definitely present in our daily lives. We have come to discipline ourselves through daily activities. Although this power is held over us, there are times when we do not self-police and go against what we have learned to do. So when no is watching, how do you behave?
Video: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504803_162-57551552-10391709/is-your-child-fair-when-no-one-is-watching/