Foucault, The History of Sexuality: An Introduction
As you read this, a couple of suggestions and reminders.1) While this book is ostensibly about the history of sexuality (or, more accurately, the history of the way was talk, write, and think about sexuality, and regulate it), we're interested in what we can learn about the way power works in society, according to Foucault.
2) Still, this is a difficult book, and while Foucault will eventually have a lot to say about power, he doesn't discuss his theory of power much directly in the early chapters. Don't worry too much about power, just try to follow the argument and the narrative Foucault presents. As you continue to read he'll get to his theory of power, but it'll be quite difficult to understand if you haven't followed the narrative about sexuality so far.
3) This book was first published in France in 1976. A bit of historical context: Foucault is writing in the wake of the so-called sexual revolution of the previous decade in Western Europe and the United States. In other words, many people--especially Foucault's likely audience--are heavily invested in the "repressive hypothesis" that Foucault is criticizing. The idea that the recent innovations in sexuality in Western societies were acheived by throwing off antiquated forms of repressive social power and replacing them with freedom were widely held. They were primarily challenged by those on the cultural right; defenders of traditional and quasi-Victorian sexual mores. Foucault is one of the only to challenge this way of thinking from an entirely different perspective that has nothing whatsoever to do with the traditional values critique.
4) Foucault's pessimism about the sexual liberation of his era is perhaps even more surprising given his personal life (Foucault was a gay man who died of AIDS-related complications in 1984). Given his sexual orientation, he was someone particularly situated to benefit from the social changes associated with the sexual revolution, which included a major step forward for the social acceptance of gays and lesbians.
posted by djw @ 7:44 PM
5 Comments:
Mari Bolster
Especially considering his own sexual orientation and the fact that it was repressed for so long makes his argument sort of confusing. I would not say that sex was not being repressed in past because we were trying to find scientific reasoning for certain "perversions" and with the obsessive nature of stiffling sexuality. The fact that people went out of there way to eradicate certain types of sexuality and condemning others means to me that they understood its existence but were attempting to limit it as much as possible. To me this constitutes repression.
Foucalt finds a means to look at power through culture and cosequently a different aspect of power we rarely see through watching government in progress. Non-governmental groups using their influence to repress opposing sects while raising their own. Consequently this form of social repression can be observed as a political group against another by the means used. Making homosexuality a taboo without enforcing it with religion is a mark that certain unaffiliated parties are attempting to repress instead of a more obvious institution.
Foucault analyzes the ones who study sexual practices, and in effect finds a means in which to place under the microscope the ones who wish to limit our own thinking by placing a taboo on sexual discussions, expression, etc. As the bourgeoise class believe that sex is a waste of energy when not used for reproduction, they try to limit sexual practices so that theoretically it will increase productivity. By analyzing sex and placing into categories certain sexual preferences and tendencies, we are supposed to better understand a person. This however, leads to dangerous generalizations and stereotypes. If someone is homosexual, then as a society, we believe that they must act in a certain way outside of the bedroom in order to fullfil that role. However, we do not categorize people who are vegetarians in the same manner. We do not think that vegetarians dress a certain way, or listen to a certain type of music, or conduct themselves in a "vegetarian" manner. It is only when a sexual preference is introduced that we believe that this person must act in a defined way that is in line with their sexual preference.
Foucault looks at the great irony of sexual repression. Since sex is so basic a desire and has so long been a normal part of society, defining "perversions" only created more discourses on sex and it's varied forms.
Repression was not successful. It didn't stifle sexual behavior or discussion, it increased it. Therefore, we have not truly been repressed sexually.
The five features of the Juridico-discursive theory are, 1)It establishes a negative relation between sex and power: sex is always something that power constrains. (2) Power acts as a law that determines how sex should be treated and understood. (3) Power acts only to prohibit and suppress sex. (4) Power says sex is not permitted, that is not to be spoken of, and ultimately, that it doesn't exist. (5) Power is seen as working in the same manner at all levels: everywhere, there is a uniform repression.
This should help with the study questions for the final about Foucault. He is trying to say that power is not only repressive, but creative as well, and we should consider both sides.
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