The History Of Sexuality, By Michel Foucault - 1346 Words

In the History of Sexuality Vol. 1, Michel Foucault writes the body as a constructed and manipulated agent, the locus of sociopolitical discourse and power. To Foucault, the body cannot exist before the law (that which holds and ascribes its meaning). Similarly, sexuality cannot free itself from relations of power (Butler 1989:603). Indeed, the body is culturally contested; it is incapable of independence from any particular structuralized narrative. The ubiquitous yet uncertain subject of sex, as Foucault describes, is an â€Å"imaginary point, the consequence of materiality fully invested with ideas† (Butler 1989:603). He writes; â€Å"Nothing in man— not even his body – is sufficiently stable to serve as the basis for self-recognition or for understanding other men† (Foucault 1980:153). The culturally constructed body then, asserts a multitude of identities. The body is molded by distinct regimes of life, broken down by â€Å"rhythms of work, rest, a nd holiday† uprooted by cultural significant values, habits and moral laws (Foucault 1980:153). The legality of the body within the context of transactional sex has been a subject of constant debate, primarily limited to a severe binary whereby the focus on decriminalization rest upon the idea of human agency and the victimization of the body. Central to these narratives is, of course, the female form. On one end of the spectrum, anti-prostitution activists argue that women involved in the sex trade industry are but victims of an unjustShow MoreRelatedThe History Of Sexuality By Michel Foucault1729 Words   |  7 PagesVictorians†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ chapter of the book entitled â€Å"The History of Sexuality† by Michel Foucault seeks to explain the traditional and modern issues regarding sexuality. Michel argues out that during the 17th century, sexuality was not a big deal, and various sexual acts were pursued more or less deliberately. Primarily, there was no taboo conce rning sex and people of all age groups including children were well aware of sexual behaviours. Michel then points out that sexuality was now shifted to the homes where it wasRead MoreThe History Of Sexuality, Volume 1, By Michel Foucault1822 Words   |  8 Pages In Part V of The History of Sexuality, Volume 1, Michel Foucault documents the historical shift from a sovereign power concentrated in death to a normalized, institutionalized regulation of life focused in part on the control of sexuality. He argues that this movement marks not only a reconceptualization of the living subject as a valuable source of both labor and production but also a new political interest in sex as a site of surveillance, classification, and management. Individuals in the contemporaryRead MoreAnalysis Of Michel Foucault s The History Of Sexuality Sheds Light On The Victorian Era 1258 Words   |  6 PagesMichel Foucault’s The History of Sexuality sheds light on the Victorian era and how the regulation of discourses on sex reveals that Victorian society is more perverse than contemporary society thinks of it. A similar approach can be applied to contemporary society and political discourse. During the 2016 presidential election, The Washington Post relea sed a video of current President-elect Donald Trump bragging about what many consider to be sexually assaulting women. Recorded saying comments suchRead MoreAnalysis Of Foucault And Queer Theory 1211 Words   |  5 PagesIn Foucault and Queer Theory Spargo defines queer theory as a nebulous group of cultural criticism and analysis of social power structures relating to sexuality . 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For three centuries, the bourgeoisie, characterized by modernRead MoreBiographical Paper Of Michel Foucault1272 Words   |  6 Pages Biographical Paper of Michel Foucault. Michel Foucault Kenya Coleman Principles of Sociology Professor Preston September 12, 2016 French historian and philosopher Michel Foucault, was born in Poitiers, France October 15, 1926. He was the professor of the History of Systems of Thought and also was the founder of Groupe d’informationRead More Eve Kosofsky Sedgwicks Tendencies: Queerness and Oppression1208 Words   |  5 PagesTendencies: Queerness and Oppression Over the last two decades or so, the idea of queerness is one that has been utilized and considered by individuals and communities of marginalized sexualities and genders. The concept is one that has attempted to broaden and deconstruct traditional notions of gender and sexuality in order to include all of their incarnations as valid experiences and identities. Queerness endeavors to include all of those who feel they are a part of it yet, seemingly, not everyoneRead MoreRelationship Between Sex And Power955 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Michel Foucault was a French philosopher, historian, social theorist, philologist and literary critic whose work had a tremendous impact on several disciplines. He was not a sociologist by training, but he worked diligently on sociological issues and otherwise had significant influence on the work of other sociologists. One of his most famous works is the The History of Sexuality, in which he examines the emergence of sexuality as a discursive object and separate sphere of lifeRead MoreHistory of Sexuality3607 Words   |  15 Pagesconcepts of Michel Foucault From 1989 to 1999, the time period of the Clinton Administration, a homosexual force entered the American consciousness. Court cases and rhetoric of the 80s incited a discourse in which homosexuality was re-articulated, re-negotiated, and unmistakably re-repressed (Davis 3). Supreme Court judgment and actions taken by Congress with the Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy exemplify theories of sexuality and power expressed in the philosophies of Michel Foucault. FoucaultRead MoreMichel Foucault s Philosophy Of Law1346 Words   |  6 PagesMichel Foucault was an unconventional philosopher in relation to the ideas and reasonings of law and why they are just. He takes a different approach than many of the most prominent philosophers in the study of the philosophy of law. If someone were to compare his ideals with the ideals of some of the most prominent law philosophers an interesting total theory of the philosophy behind law could be created. The intentions of this writing are to relate and compare Michel Foucault with many of his predecessors