Week 2 Lecture 1 Flashcards
Who was Michel Foucault and what were his main roles?
Foucault, born in 1926 and died in 1984, was a historian, philosopher, archivist, and theorist.
What was the main goal of Foucault’s work?
To create a history of the different modes by which human beings are made subjects in Western culture - “to find the ways in which power operates to shape and govern individuals within society.”
What are the two main streams of philosophy that influenced Foucault’s thinking?
Existentialism, which explores individual existence, and phenomenology, which investigates how things appear.
What is Foucault’s primary interest in his studies?
Understanding how people become both the subject and object of various political, scientific, and economic discourses.
What does Foucault mean by “dividing practices”?
Practices that categorize individuals into binaries like sick/well or sane/insane, shaping identities and social roles.
What is the significance of the concept of genealogy in Foucault’s work?
Genealogy examines the history of the present, exploring the origins of contemporary practices and challenging unjustified claims of authority.
What is the panopticon and why is it relevant to Foucault’s theories?
Developed by Jeremy Bentham, the panopticon is a metaphor for modern surveillance methods that influence both visibility and power dynamics in society.
How are docile bodies produced according to Foucault?
Through hierarchical observation, normalizing judgment, and examination, all of which serve to enforce conformity and regulate behavior within societal norms.
What does ethnographic research typically focus on?
It focuses on studying people’s experiences and perceptions in their natural settings through observation.
What methodological approach does Foucault’s concept of discourse/language emphasize?
It investigates the relationship between knowledge and power, suggesting that they are interconnected and function as one.
What is the Treachery of Images and how does it relate to Foucault’s interest in representation?
It highlights the distinction between objects and their representations, akin to Foucault’s analysis of how words, images, and objects construct reality.
What are examples of modern forms of surveillance reminiscent of the panopticon?
Digital surveillance technologies such as social media monitoring, CCTV, and data analytics.
What does it mean to trace the history of a word or concept in Foucault’s genealogical approach?
It involves exploring how certain terms are historically constructed and utilized to exert control over specific groups.
How did Foucault view the relationship between the subject and power?
He explored how individuals are shaped into subjects through various discourses of power, making them both agents and objects of power.
What implications does Foucault’s theory have for understanding the mechanisms of moral regulation?
It provides a framework for analyzing how societal norms are established, maintained, and internalized through discursive practices.
What does Foucault’s interest in confinement and punishment reveal about societal institutions?
It reflects his exploration of how societal institutions control and modify behavior, often through subtle and pervasive mechanisms of power.
How does the concept of the panopticon extend to digital technologies?
It illustrates how modern surveillance systems, much like the panopticon, create a sense of perpetual visibility that conditions individuals to regulate their own behaviors.
