How Foucault's ideas are relevant to Social Policy in relation to feminism, morality and the penal system.
How Foucault's ideas are relevant to Social Policy in relation to feminism, morality and the penal system.
Michel Foucault was born and lived in France during 1926-1984. He was a French philosopher who attempted to challenge norms and truths regarding society and human nature. He challenged the works of both Marx and Freud, in the context of Marxist theory on social structure and Freudian psychology. Foucault was a post structuralist who did not hold with any one grand theory as being the truth in relation to society. He offered alternative explanations on prisons and hospitals citing the 'medical gaze' and psychiatric units, among his theories. Foucault was a homosexual and shocked his university by the introduction of his gay lover. He was concerned with morality and the laws regarding sex and sexuality and deviance. Feminists identify with his notion of 'bio power' and the body. He gave several lectures and wrote numerous books. The book 'Discipline and Punish' (1975, the birth of the prison) also 'Mental illness and Psychology' (1976) and 'The will to knowledge' (1976, an expansion on the 19th century prison system of 'Discipline and Punish'. 'The Will to knowledge' was the 1st of a six volume book 'The history of sexuality' (1978) these are some of his books.
He was a post structuralist, influenced by the German philosopher Fredrick Nietzsche who wrote 'The genealogy of morals' a brief explanation of his work is, it is about human motivation and a will to power and claims that traditional values have lost their hold on society. Foucault was also interested in the work of the philosopher Martin Heidegger, who criticised what he termed as our 'technological concepts' of existence. Foucault's ideas are relevant to Social Policy as time shift occurs and our analysis of society's rules change in the era of these post modern times. In an effort to gain a more in-depth understanding of our rules and networks Foucault's theories are useful in relation to Social Policy. Foucault can be compared to other academics in order to gain a better perspective on his ideas. For example George Orwell and his book '1984' both Foucault and Orwell cite surveillance in the form of authority as their common theme and incline towards Totalitarianism.
Foucault could be loosely compared to the functionalist sociologist Emile Durkheim with his concept of positive and negative contributions to society, citing Einstein as a positive genius and therefore contributing to society and negative deviance in the form of criminality. Foucault cites organizations and institutions, as does Durkheim, in both positive and negative forms, armies, prisons and psychiatric hospitals as negative. From the view of the professionals having the 'power of authority' and decision-making over the patients or inmates lives. Institutions also have a positive effect parallel to the negative control aspect for Foucault. Within schools, colleges and universities, although he tends to look at the controlling aspects of these organisations. Power and knowledge are possible to gain via the use of these institutions and by passing through them under the watchful eye of the academics and tutors, students are able to gain positive sanctions. Taking charge of their own lives, 'bio power' comes into play, if they so choose. Both Foucault and Durkheim stress the importance of networks regarding social cohesion, but Foucault has a darker side and takes a pessimistic view of society. Feminists associate with his 'bio power' and the body. As they recognise oppressive links, parallel to Foucault's homosexuality and the law and also to his concept of 'institutional restrictions' and the oppression of the body of females in a paternalistic society. Therefore feminists tend to identify with organizations and institutions also as being there to instill social forms of behaviour, utilized to work and employment. They, as women may not always be considered for jobs that men may be favoured for, and can often be socially excluded from them in a patriarchal society.
Michel Foucault was born and lived in France during 1926-1984. He was a French philosopher who attempted to challenge norms and truths regarding society and human nature. He challenged the works of both Marx and Freud, in the context of Marxist theory on social structure and Freudian psychology. Foucault was a post structuralist who did not hold with any one grand theory as being the truth in relation to society. He offered alternative explanations on prisons and hospitals citing the 'medical gaze' and psychiatric units, among his theories. Foucault was a homosexual and shocked his university by the introduction of his gay lover. He was concerned with morality and the laws regarding sex and sexuality and deviance. Feminists identify with his notion of 'bio power' and the body. He gave several lectures and wrote numerous books. The book 'Discipline and Punish' (1975, the birth of the prison) also 'Mental illness and Psychology' (1976) and 'The will to knowledge' (1976, an expansion on the 19th century prison system of 'Discipline and Punish'. 'The Will to knowledge' was the 1st of a six volume book 'The history of sexuality' (1978) these are some of his books.
He was a post structuralist, influenced by the German philosopher Fredrick Nietzsche who wrote 'The genealogy of morals' a brief explanation of his work is, it is about human motivation and a will to power and claims that traditional values have lost their hold on society. Foucault was also interested in the work of the philosopher Martin Heidegger, who criticised what he termed as our 'technological concepts' of existence. Foucault's ideas are relevant to Social Policy as time shift occurs and our analysis of society's rules change in the era of these post modern times. In an effort to gain a more in-depth understanding of our rules and networks Foucault's theories are useful in relation to Social Policy. Foucault can be compared to other academics in order to gain a better perspective on his ideas. For example George Orwell and his book '1984' both Foucault and Orwell cite surveillance in the form of authority as their common theme and incline towards Totalitarianism.
Foucault could be loosely compared to the functionalist sociologist Emile Durkheim with his concept of positive and negative contributions to society, citing Einstein as a positive genius and therefore contributing to society and negative deviance in the form of criminality. Foucault cites organizations and institutions, as does Durkheim, in both positive and negative forms, armies, prisons and psychiatric hospitals as negative. From the view of the professionals having the 'power of authority' and decision-making over the patients or inmates lives. Institutions also have a positive effect parallel to the negative control aspect for Foucault. Within schools, colleges and universities, although he tends to look at the controlling aspects of these organisations. Power and knowledge are possible to gain via the use of these institutions and by passing through them under the watchful eye of the academics and tutors, students are able to gain positive sanctions. Taking charge of their own lives, 'bio power' comes into play, if they so choose. Both Foucault and Durkheim stress the importance of networks regarding social cohesion, but Foucault has a darker side and takes a pessimistic view of society. Feminists associate with his 'bio power' and the body. As they recognise oppressive links, parallel to Foucault's homosexuality and the law and also to his concept of 'institutional restrictions' and the oppression of the body of females in a paternalistic society. Therefore feminists tend to identify with organizations and institutions also as being there to instill social forms of behaviour, utilized to work and employment. They, as women may not always be considered for jobs that men may be favoured for, and can often be socially excluded from them in a patriarchal society.
