Lecture 9: Foucault Con't Flashcards
(39 cards)
1
Q
governementality
A
- Describes the expansion of governmental scope through policies, institutions, and bureaucratic mechanisms
- Represents the shift frmo ruling through force to managing populations through administraiton and regulation
2
Q
Foucault on governmentality
A
governmentality is about how power operates through knowledge and institutions to shape behaviour (internal)
3
Q
Weber on governmentality
A
focuses on bureaucracy and rationalization as key elements of modern governance (external)
4
Q
connection between Foucault and Weber on governmentality
A
Focault builds on Weber but shifts the focus from organizational efficiency to power dynamics in shaping society
5
Q
Beyond the 18th century: limitations of a simple definition of governmentality
A
- While Foucault emphasizes governmentality’s emergence in the 18th century, similar techniques existed in Ancieny Egypt, Greece, Rome, and other early civilizations
- If defined broadly, many historical societies could be seen as practicing governmentality through adminsitration control and population management
- However, modern govenrmenality is distinct in its reliance on statistics, policy-making, and institutional surveillance rather than just centralized role
6
Q
biopower
A
- Power over life
- Unlike traditional power (which uses force and punishment), biopower governs bodies and populations
- Manages health, reproduction, brith rates, mortality, and behaviour
7
Q
examples of biopower
A
- Public health campaigns (vaccinations, hygiene standards)
- Regulation of sexuality and reproduction (birth control policies, eugenics)
- Fitness and well-being trends (government-backed diet/exercise programs)
8
Q
biopolitics
A
- Political strategies for managing life
- Governments intervene in biological processes for economic and political stability
- Concerned with population control, health management, and social politices
9
Q
examples of biopolitics
A
- Immigration laws based on demographics
- Social policies on aging, fertility, and family planning
- Surveillance of bodies (tempeorature checks, biometric data collection)
10
Q
biopower and biopolitics in Discipline and Punish
A
Discipline and Punish does not explicitly say biopower and biopolitics
11
Q
discipline and punish
A
- Explores the historical shift from sovereign power (punishment as a spectacle) to discplinary power (surveillance and normalization)
- Modern societies regulate individuals not through direct coercion but through institutions, surveillance, and norms
- Introduces the concept of Panopticism
12
Q
The spectacle of punishment (pre-18th century)
A
public executions as displays of sovereign power (top-down approach to law enforcement)
13
Q
The rise of discipline (18-19th century)
A
prisons, schools, and hospitals emerge as sites of control (diffused approach to law enforcement)
14
Q
Surveillance & normalization
A
the Panopticon as a model for self-regulation
15
Q
Discipline and Punish’s connection to power
A
power is not just repressive but also productive: it shapes individuals and behaviours
16
Q
power/knowledge
A
- A collection of interviews and writings where Foucault clarifies his theories on power, discourse, and knowledge
- Expands on ideas from Displine and Punish and The History of Sexuality
- Explains how power functions not just through repression but through the production of knowledge and truth
- Power operates through discourse: the ways we talk about and define reality
17
Q
traditional view of knowledge
A
knowledge is objective and neutral
18
Q
Foucault’s view of knowledge
A
knowledge is always tied to power: it is produced through insituttions and systems of control
19
Q
resistance to power
A
- Power is everywhere but so is resistance
- Alternative knowledge systems challenge dominant power structures (ex. Feminist theory, queer theory, postcolonial studies)
- Resistance is not just rebellion but also the creation of counter-discourse
- Ex. shifting from viewing homosexuality as a disorder to a recongized identity
20
Q
Disciplinary power as productive, not just repressive:
A
- Traditional power: prohibitive, inflicts pain on the body
- Disciplinary power: shapes behaviour, trains obedience
21
Q
Discipline vs. law & law enforcement
A
- Law is reactive: it punishes rule breakers
- Discipline is proactive: it instills self-regulation and compliance
22
Q
Modern society as a mix of old and new power
A
- Discipline does not replace traditions power (torture, punishment)
- Remnants of older, coercive power structures remain
23
Q
The limits of discripline: resistance
A
- People push back against surveillance and control
- Society is disciplinary but not fully disciplined
24
Q
Transformation of policing
A
- Shift toward law enforcement-focused policing, but variations persist
- Different nations develop distinct policing models based on political and legal traditions
25
Policing in Continental Europe
- Broad police functions: regulated murder, public smoking, traffic, and social order
- Integrated into state governance beyond just crime control
- Militaritic and highly centralized
- Strong national control over police forces
- Focused on state security and order maintenance
26
Policing in liberal democracies
- More restricted police power: focused on constitutional rights and criminal law enforcement
- Greater legal oversight and limitations on police authority
27
Colonial policing models
- Designed to serve economic and political interests of colonial rule
- Often more repressive, prioritizing control over populations rather than general law enforcement
28
American policing
- Locally organized: early policing was run by towns, not a centralized force
- Federal policing developed gradually, with meaningful expansion only in the 20th century
- More decentalized compared to European models
29
British policing
- Civilian-based model but with national supervision (from early 19th century)
- Significant local variation in professionalism and structure
30
Weberian bureaucracy & policing
hierarchical structure, rule-based decision-making, standardized enforcement
31
Examples of Weberian bureaucracy & policing
- Impersonal procedures: cases handled based on general rules, not individual circumstances
- Scientific policing: use of forensic techniques, surveillance, and crime databases
- Routinization: predictable, procedural approach to law enforcement
32
Challenges of bureaucratization
- Reduced acocuntaibility & transparency
- Potential for differnetial law enforcement
- Increased police autonomy from govenrment oversight
33
Reform & responses to bureaucratization of police instutitions
- Community policing: strengthening police-public relationships
- Restorative justice: focusing on harm reduction and reconciliation
- Technological advances: expanding global policing and crime detection tools
34
Expansion of surveillance beyond policing
- Mirrors Foucault’s panopticon: surveillance has diffused into all aspects of society
- No centralized power: surveillance operates everywhere, blurring public and private life
35
Modern surveillance & social control
- Highly technological monitoring: CCTV, data storage, biometric tracking
- Proactive & detailed observation: creates a “nation of suspects”
- Self-surveillance: people adjust behaviour as if they’re constantly being watched
36
The paradox of surveillance in democratic socieities
- Absence of overt repression allows for more advanced, subtle control
- Surveillance expands under freedom, not just under authoritarian rule
- Raises concerns about privacy, autonomy, and societal norms
37
implications of engineered surveillance
- Rigid societies: excessive control reduces adaptability and creativity
- Displacement of problems: surveillance pushes issues elsewhere rather than addressing root causes
- Transparency vs. freedom: a more orderly society may come at the cost of autonomy and innovative
38
Privacy & civil liberties in surveillance societies:
Individual concerns
- Privacy protects, dignity, self-respect, and personal autonomy
- Anonymity encourages honesty, creativity, and risk-taking
39
Privacy & civil liberties in surveillance societies:
Societal concerns
- Confidentiality strengthens trust
- Privacy is essential for health, social interaction, and open communication
- A nation’s respect for privacy reflect its broader social values
