Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
This is a blog for a community of students in Sociology 101A: "Sociological Theory," in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, Fall, 2008.
Welcome!
This is the informal blog spot for errant questions, random ramblings, and clever musings. For the rest of the semester, we'll use this blog to clarify the work(s) of Lenin, Gramsci and Fanon. Feel free to endlessly post, and don't forget: Theory Rocks!
Will Obama bring the U.S. closer to socialism?
Obama: A Traditional or Organic Intellectual?
Grappling with Gramsci
"The mode of being of the new intellectual can no longer consist in eloquence, which is an exterior and momentary mover of feelings and passions, but in active participation in practical life, as constructor, organizer, 'permanent persuader' and not just a simple orator (but superior at the same time to the abstract mathematical spirit) ..." (Prison Notebooks, 10).
"The relationship between the intellectuals and the world of production is not as direct as it is with the fundamental social groups but is, in varying degrees, 'mediated' by the whole fabric of society and by the complex of superstructures, of which the intellectual are, precisely, the 'functionaries'" (Prison Notebooks 12).
"The superstructure of civil society are like the trench-systems of modern warfare. In war it would sometimes happen that a fierce artillery attack seemed to have destroyed the outer perimeter; and at the moment of their advance and attack the assailants would find themselves confronted by a line of defense which was still effective" (Prison Notebooks 235).
"The massive structures of modern democracies, both as State organizations, and as complexes of associations in civil society, constitute for the art of politics as it were the 'trenches' and the permanent fortifications of the front in the war of position ..." (Prison Notebooks 243).
"... [I]t is obvious that all the essential questions of sociology are nothing other than the questions of political science" (Prison Notebooks 244).
"As long as the class-State exists the regulated society cannot exist, other than metaphorically---i.e. only in the sense that the class-State too is a regulated society" (Prison Notebooks 257).
What did you think of the Rosa Luxemburg film?
Oh No He Didn't: Endless, Evolving and Perplexing Lenin Quotables
"We are in favour of a democratic republic as the best form of state for the proletariat under capitalism" (The State and Revolution, 323).
"Simultaneously with an immense expansion of democracy, which for the first time become democracy for the poor, democracy for the people, and not democracy for the money-bags, the dictatorship of the proletariat imposes a series of restrictions on the freedom of the oppressors, the exploiters, the capitalists. We must suppress them in order to free humanity from wage slavery, their resistance must be crushed by force; it is clear that there is no freedom and no democracy where there is suppression and where there is violence" (The State and Revolution, 373).
"The expression 'the state withers away' is very well chosen, for it indicates both the gradual and the spontaneous nature of the process. Only habit can, and undoubtedly will, have such an effect ..." (The State and Revolution, 374).
What did you think of Salt of the Earth?
Who got it right?
1 comment:
Foucault outlines two distinct forms of power. He argues that the first type was in place earlier and later turned into the latter. This conversion occurred because there was a growing sense of sympathy among the viewers of the spectacle of punishment. The savagery of the retribution was observed as being too severe and/ or equating the severity of the crime that had been committed by the convicted (9).Therefore, Foucault argues that in order to maintain control over society, those in power (i.e. the state, and the king) had to transition into a form of power that was less visible but nonetheless effective.
Under sovereign power, the earlier of the two structures, punishment was meant to be a spectacle for all to see the consequences of incorrect actions. It involved an individualism that requires the audience to look up to the criminal being chastised. The first two pages of his book outline, in great detail, an example of one such reprimand. This instance illustrates the importance of torture as a form of demonstrating physical power over the bodies of the criminals (11). Additionally, as seen with Damiens, pain was administered by an executioner.
Disciplinary power on the other hand, relies on a punishment that is less visible and less torturous. The aim is to “cure” the individual of his mistakes (10). He is corrected by professionals such as psychiatrists (11). Like with sovereign power, the body is still being regulated, but there is a greater aim to control the soul (24-25). Additionally, since torture is no longer permissible, power must be enforced in alternative methods. Therefore, there are tactics in which power is carried out. These are hierarchies, surveillance, and examination. Institutions such as education use these strategies to maintain control over individuals, such as students, without their conscious knowledge thus preventing them from resisting.
Foucault’s theory of power is quite useful when dealing with the institution of marriage. He talks about the importance of institutions in the maintenance of disciplinary power. He would likely consider marriage as one such institution.
In marriage, by California standards, a man and woman meet and eventually become joined legally. This current arrangement can best be explained through Foucault’s theory of disciplinary power. Although it is assumed that both partners are equal in such a union, it is clear that a gender hierarchy is present. If both partners work outside the home, it is most likely that the man’s income will be greater. It is also assumed, and has become normalized, that the woman is still responsible for caring for the home in addition to her employment responsibilities. The raising of children, when present, is normally done using this same concept of discipline as they are being made to fit into society. If their manners are ill adapted to those of mainstream society, is the job of these parents to correct and “cure” their children.
Furthermore, if observed in the historical context, marriage can also be understood through sovereign power. Prior to the current arrangement, women were confined to the home while men were allowed to venture out for work. Under this structure, women were entirely dependent on their men for food, shelter, and any other expenses. They were also not allotted the same rights as their male counterparts. Due to this, women’s bodies were subject to their partners. Beating of wives was not widely reported but nonetheless did occur and went unpunished. In fact, it was not until recently that forced penetration between married couples was legally considered rape. Therefore, women who suffered domestic violence; were publicly tortured on occasion in front of children, were the “Damiens” of their households.
Post a Comment