Text questions
Concepts
100
What is a docile body?
A 'docile body' is one that may be subjected, used, transformed, and improved.
100
What is discourse?
Essentially, discourse is the production of knowledge in a regulated way. We are conditioned to think of certain things as important, while others are meaningless.
200
In what way are "docile bodies" controlled through disciplinary power?
It is not a massive attempt at control, but rather through the individual, subtle coercion of movements, gestures and attitudes.
200
What are two main characteristics of power?
Power is...
1. Productive: power doesn't repress our "true" self, but rather shapes and creates our identity.
2. Decentred: it is not wielded by a single institution, but rather part of a larger network that can be found in everyday life.
300
How does Foucault link the concept of "docile bodies" to institutions like the military or schools?
These spaces use systematic techniques—like drills, surveillance, and timetables—to discipline individuals, ensuring they are both efficient and easily controlled.
300
How is the Panopticon an example of disciplinary power?
It's a model of a prison in which all the cells are visible to the watchtower in the middle. Since inmates never know if they are being watched, they will always behave as if they were. It is power over the individual body.
400
How are the disciplines different from other forms of domination such as slavery?
In difference to slavery, they are not based in the physical appropriation of the body. They subtly influence our behaviour without having to recur to "costly and violent" methods.
400
True or false: The subject is the autonomous product of history and power, and it's fully known by itself.
False. The subject is the product of history and power, therefore it's not autonomous. It doesn't fully know or create its identity, it's shaped by discourse.