Foucault News

Eugene B. Young, Cinematic Art and Reversals of Power. Deleuze via Blanchot (2022)

Clare O'Farrell

29 June 2023

Eugene B. Young, Cinematic Art and Reversals of Power. Deleuze via Blanchot, Bloomsbury, 2022

Description
Bringing together Deleuze, Blanchot, and Foucault, this book provides a detailed and original exploration of the ideas that influenced Deleuze’s thought leading up to and throughout his cinema volumes and, as a result, proposes a new definition of art.

Examining Blanchot’s suggestion that art and dream are “outside” of power, as imagination has neither reality nor truth, and Foucault’s theory that power forms knowledge by valuing life, Eugene Brent Young relates these to both Deleuze’s philosophy of time and his work with Guattari on art. In doing so, he uses case studies from literature and popular film, including Kafka’s Castle, Villeneuve’s Arrival, and Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut.

Providing important new insights for those working in literary and cinematic studies, this book advances a new definition of art as that which reverses the realities and truths of power to express obscure ideas and values beyond both our exterior and interior worlds.

Table of Contents
Introduction: How the True World Finally Became a Bad Film

PART ONE: Power and the Outside
I. Power and the (In)Visible: Foucault and Deleuze
II: From Menace to Passion in Blanchot & Deleuze: ‘The Sovereignty of the Void’ & Experience of the Imaginary
III. Dreams: The Eclipse of the Day & its Incessant Return

PART TWO: Art, Literature, & Ideas
IV. The Conceptual Composition of the Work of Art: Chaos & the Outside
V. Literature’s Radical Reversal: from Absence of Origin to Deterritorialized Future
VI. Kafka’s Castle: A Case Study-Conceptual Inexistence & Obscure Value

PART THREE: Cinema
VII. Cinematic Worlds of Truth and Reality: Deleuze’s Movement Image via Foucault
VIII. Radical Reversals of Cinematic Art: The Dissociative Force of Blanchot’s Outside in Deleuze’s Time-Image
IX. “Is Anyone Seeing This?”

Conclusion: Artistic Fiction and the Thought of Eternal Return

Eugene B. Young is Professor of Practice in Philosophy and English at Le Moyne College, Syracuse, USA. He is the primary author and editor of The Deleuze and Guattari Dictionary (Bloomsbury, 2013).

Fan Yang, Habermas, Foucault and the Political-Legal Discussions in China A Discourse on Law and Democracy (2022)

Clare O'Farrell

no comments

28 June 2023

Fan Yang, Habermas, Foucault and the Political-Legal Discussions in China. A Discourse on Law and Democracy, Springer 2022

About this book
This book revisits the discourse theories of Habermas and Foucault in a Chinese context. After arguing that Habermas’s Discourse Theory of Law and Democracy is too normative and idealistic, it presents Foucault’s Discourse Theory of Power Relations to illustrate the tensions between different Western discourse theories. The book then draws on the normative concept of Confucian Rationality from traditional Chinese cultural sources in order to investigate how adaptable these two discourse theories are to the Chinese society, and to balance the tension between them. Presenting these three dimensions of discourse theory, as well as the relations between them, it also uses empirical descriptions of certain facts of political-legal discussion both in traditional China and in the country’s new media age to explain, supplement and question this theoretic framework.

The book asserts that, because of the diverse modes of thinking in specific cultures, there might be different normative paradigms of discorse and different political-legal discussion modes across corresponding cultural contexts. Normative discourse theories provide guidance for the practices of deliberative democracy and legal discussions, which can in turn verify, supplement, improve and challenge the normative discourse theories. In addition to demonstrating the multiple dimensions of discourse theories, this research also promotes an approach to the Discourse Theory of Law and Democracy that combines elements of both Chinese and modern society.

Fan Yang is an associate professor of law and a fellow of the Center for Jurisprudence Research and the Research Center for Judicial Data Application at Jilin University, China. He holds a PhD degree of social science from Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris-Saclay in France, and another PhD degree of philosophy from East China Normal University. His teaching experiences and studies focus on sociology of law, legal philosophy and comparative law.

Kjaran, J.I., Kristinsdóttir, G. Working on violent self: how perpetrators of IPV narrate about and position themselves during and after therapy? An example from Iceland (2023)

Clare O'Farrell

no comments

27 June 2023

Kjaran, J.I., Kristinsdóttir, G.
Working on violent self: how perpetrators of IPV narrate about and position themselves during and after therapy? An example from Iceland (2023) Nordic Social Work Research, 13 (2), pp. 348-361.

DOI: 10.1080/2156857X.2021.1991443

Abstract
In this paper the aim is to explore how men who have been violent and abusive in their intimate relationships reconstituted their violent behaviour, by working on the self. How did they change or transform themselves through therapy? Which strategies did they use when caring for the self and which subject positions were adopted? The paper also explores how interviewees draw on therapeutic discourse when talking about themselves and their violent practices. To seek answers, the narratives of seven research participants are interpreted by drawing on Foucault´s work on the ethics of the self and how subjects apply various techniques when taking care of and working on it.

Our findings indicate that by confessing to violence and abuse in intimate relationships, these men become recognized as intelligible subjects who can change themselves by working on the self through therapy and self-inspection. Most of them came to be reflective and tried to find explanations for their violent acts. Some were partly repentant. However, as discussed in the paper, they also made excuses for the violence committed and did not critically question their own privileges and entitlements as men. Instead, they often blamed external factors or own mental illnesses for their actions. These can have implications for service providers as discussed further in the paper. Despite considerable therapeutic insights these men still need guidance and increased awareness of gendering aspects of IPV and insights into how they are constituted by the dominant discourses of masculinity. ©, Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Author Keywords
ethics of the self; fathering; Foucault; gender; Iceland; IPV; masculinity; therapeutic discourse

Menard, R., Törrönen, J. Immigration, Multiculturalism and Biopolitical Projects on ‘Difference’: Negotiating Intersecting Social Divisions From Positions of Privilege and Disadvantage (2023)

Clare O'Farrell

no comments

26 June 2023

Menard, R., Törrönen, J.
Immigration, Multiculturalism and Biopolitical Projects on ‘Difference’: Negotiating Intersecting Social Divisions From Positions of Privilege and Disadvantage (2023) Nordic Journal of Migration Research, 13 (1), pp. 1-23.

DOI: 10.33134/njmr.513

Abstract
Informed by Foucault’s concept of biopolitics, in this study we examine how lived experiences of privilege and disadvantage may be at play in respondents’ negotiations of Finnish discourses on immigration, multiculturalism and ‘difference’. The main research material was produced by Finnish citizens whose practices around sociability and gender/sex have been formally marked as ‘abnormal’ by welfare state and health care institutions: Asperger’s diagnosed persons and persons with transgender life experiences. We analyse the research material – which was elicited using vignettes – using tools from critical discourse analysis that we implement through an intersectional lens. In their negotiations of the vignettes, participants partly identify with conflicting views. On the one hand, they approach discourses and practices on and around ‘difference’, immigration and multiculturalism through homogenising and subjugating categorisations, viewpoints and assumptions. On the other hand, they also question some of them, leaving potential openings for social transformation. COPYRIGHT: © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons NonCommercialNoDerivatives Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits unrestricted distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited, the material is not used for commercial purposes and is not altered in any way. See https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

Marx, S. et al, “I didn’t quit. The system quit me.” Examining why teachers of color leave teaching (2023)

Clare O'Farrell

no comments

25 June 2023

Marx, S., Lavigne, A.L., Braden, S., Hawkman, A., Andersen, J., Gailey, S., Geddes, G., Jones, I., Si, S., Washburn, K.
“I didn’t quit. The system quit me.” Examining why teachers of color leave teaching
(2023) International Journal of Leadership in Education

DOI: 10.1080/13603124.2023.2218113

Abstract
Teachers of color leave the teaching profession at nearly three times the rate of their white counterparts. This qualitative study examines the stories of four former teachers of color who left the teaching profession. Participants’ decisions to leave teaching are contextualized with literature on the role of school leadership and teacher attrition and a conceptual framework of critical race theory and Foucault’s notion of the body as text. Journey maps and interviews are the main data sources. Findings include the lack of control participants had over their bodies, their language, and their relationships in teaching, as well as the resilience they found in leaving the profession. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Erbilen, S.Ü., Uysal, M. The Common Point of Countries Successful Policies in the Struggle Against COVID-19: Women Leaders (2023)

Clare O'Farrell

no comments

24 June 2023

Erbilen, S.Ü., Uysal, M.
The Common Point of Countries Successful Policies in the Struggle Against COVID-19: Women Leaders (2023) SAGE Open, 13 (2)

DOI: 10.1177/21582440231179458

Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, which is one of the biggest epidemics of the last century and can be regarded as a global tragedy, leaders had to mobilize many resources of their countries quickly and persuade their citizens to change their routine behavior. The approach followed by the leaders of the country in their efforts to convince their people has been an important factor in their success or failure. This paper aims to examine with Michel Foucault’s notion of biopower, and discourses and behaviors of women leaders in countries against the global pandemic which cost high life tool gave harsh messages to the humanity. For this purpose, leadership examples in Finland, Iceland, Taiwan and New Zealand will be examined in detail using the discourse analysis technique. As a result, in current times when populist and autocratic leader style is on the rise, women leaders not only took their countries to success, but they also managed to inspire other countries. More importantly, the struggle of women leaders against the pandemic revealed that a different management style is possible. © The Author(s) 2023.

Author Keywords
biopower; COVID-19; discourse analysis technique; leadership qualities; women leaders

Isike, C., Foucault’s Panopticon as a Theoretical Frame for Understanding the Big Brother Reality Show (2023)

Clare O'Farrell

no comments

21 June 2023

Isike, C.
Foucault’s Panopticon as a Theoretical Frame for Understanding the Big Brother Reality Show in Christopher Isike, Olusola Ogunnubi, Ogochukwu Ukwueze (Eds). Big Brother Naija and Popular Culture in Nigeria: A Critique of the Country’s Cultural and Economic Diplomacy, pp. 17-30. Palgrave Macmillan (2023)

DOI: 10.1007/978-981-19-8110-4_2

Abstract
The idea of the Panopticon concept presents a useful theoretical framework to understand the Big Brother Reality show generally and the Big Brother Naija (BBN) is not precluded. From its physical architectural form as a surveillance structure to its metaphoric and Foucauldian conception as norms, laws and policies which regulate behavior and compliance including its contemporary meaning in a digital world, the Panopticon concept sheds light into the BBN show. This chapter therefore deploys it to make sense of the reception and criticism of the show by Nigerians in ways that can help understand and measure the socio-political, cultural, and economic value of BBN against the intrusive gaze of the Big Brother panopticon. In this way, the chapter presents a good theoretical anchor of the arguments presented in the chapters of this book. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2023.

Author Keywords
Bentham; Big Brother Naija; Big Brother Reality Show; Foucault; Panopticon

Hafeez, G.A. Counter-conduct and Persistence in Selected Works by Egyptian Women Writers (2023)

Clare O'Farrell

no comments

20 June 2023

Hafeez, G.A.
Counter-conduct and Persistence in Selected Works by Egyptian Women Writers
(2023) Jordan Journal of Modern Languages and Literatures, 15 (1), pp. 347-363.

DOI: 10.47012/jjmll.15.1.18

Abstract
In this paper, Michel Foucault’s concept of “counter-conduct” and Judith Butler’s concept of “persistence” are deployed, explored, and applied to rethink the relationship between the dominant patriarchal power and women’s dissent as represented in the writings of Latifa al-Zayyat (1923-1996), Nawal El Sadaawi (1931-2021), and Salwa Bakr (1949). Analyzing al-Zayyat’s The Open Door [al-Bāb al-maftūḥ], El Sadaawi’s short story “The Picture” [al-Sura] and Bakr’s “Thirty-one Beautiful Green Trees” [Ihdā wa thālathūn shajarah jamīlah khadrā] in terms of the twofold approach allows in-depth explorations of various strategies of dissent and different modes of counter-conduct and persistence in the selected literary texts. It also allows for rigorous and authentic evaluation of how the female protagonists-Layla, Narjis and Kareema – endeavor to carve out other ways of being that lead to the emergence of their new subjectivities and their gendered identities. © 2023 JJMLL Publishers/Yarmouk University. All Rights Reserved.

Author Keywords
Agency; Counter-Conduct; Everyday Acts of Resistance; Persistence; Women’s Writing

Stephanie Cox, Showers: Discourse, Disability, and the State (2023)

Clare O'Farrell

no comments

19 June 2023

Stephanie Cox, Showers: Discourse, Disability, and the State, PhD thesis, Auckland University of Technology, Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023

Open access

Abstract
Showering is a pleasurable part of a daily hygiene routine for many people. However, for those who are unable to stand or step up into the typical shower unit, it is a space of exclusion. In Aotearoa New Zealand, occupational therapists can apply to the State for funding to modify shower units so that people may wheel into their shower, shower while seated, or be assisted with showering. However, this funding comes from a limited budget in which the need always exceeds the allocation. As such, a system for assessing who is able to get funding has been established. From the outside, it seems that this funding solves the issue of inaccessible showers. Although not everyone can get what they need, one could presume that the system for prioritisation addresses the needs of those whose are the greatest. However, disabled people’s access to suitable housing in Aotearoa New Zealand has recently been described as grim. Issues with inaccessible housing and showers appear frequently in mainstream media, and numerous studies have found that the need for accessible houses is far from being met.

In this study, I use a Foucauldian genealogical approach to interrogate the history of the shower. This reveals the discursive construction of the typical shower unit and shows the shower to be a political actor in the exclusion of disabled people from private dwellings. I have gathered texts from the birth of showers through to modern day to show how the government of individuals and populations shaped the shower and produced the idea of showering as an essential everyday activity. I analysed these texts using the concept of the dispositif to reveal the governmentalities that have shaped where and how disabled people live. I conclude that the current system of housing modification maintains biopolitical disablism, and is part of excluding disabled people from neoliberal life. I argue that this is an extremely dangerous practice, pushing disabled people (including the elderly) into institutional living where they are excluded from life.

This study provides a unique contribution to the argument for radical change to the way housing is governed. It shows how the shower has become a technology for investment in human capital for those who can stand and step up. While the possibility of showers that can be accessible for all has been realised, the established order has remained; and the very system that is supposed to address problems with access contributes to the dangerous exclusion of disabled people from community life. However, the recent establishment of the Ministry of Disabled People provides some hope that discriminatory practices will be confronted, and practices such as Ministry of Health housing modifications will be rethought or done away with entirely.

Paige Allen, What is Biopower & Biopolitics? Perlego Study Guides (2023)

Clare O'Farrell

no comments

17 June 2023

Paige Allen, What is Biopower & Biopolitics? Perlego Study Guides, 2023

Definitions and origins: types of power

Biopower and biopolitics, terms associated with Michel Foucault, describe the political regulation of life processes. Foucault writes in The History of Sexuality, Volume 1 (1976, [1990]) that biopower employs “numerous and diverse techniques for achieving the subjugation of bodies and the control of populations” by entangling itself with biological processes and cultivating life deemed socially useful. Biopolitics can be defined as “politics that deals with life.” However, this feels overly simplistic or even redundant. Doesn’t all politics deal with life? In Biopolitics: An Advanced Introduction (2011), Thomas Lemke investigates how the relationship between life and politics has been historically understood in two ways — life as the basis of politics and life as the object of politics — and presents Foucault’s ideas as an explicit break with these traditions (Lemke, 2011). Foucault first mentions biopolitics in a 1974 essay, and he most systematically outlines the theory in his lectures at the Collège de France from 1975 to 1978 and in The History of Sexuality. In these works, Foucault articulates a new understanding of the relationship between life and politics that continues to inform critical theory today.

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