Power and Bodily Practice: Applying the Work of Foucault 10 ‘an Anthropobgy of the Body Jen Pylypa ‘ice poner miss set fms of aly pases nouns Soe eae ae SSS or ee Semone eevee eet Ee tae fan Tatas eotate sae Ena chor iegeactampooactammomrst {rwavod in perpetuig sich races, Tha paper rings ogc Foca’: See Eola anes cece eeeee mee eee Secnerrne ‘Keywords: Foucauh poser, eth, Hes, eminsty anreia obser, ‘woe, medal topo Michel Fousaalt coined the erm “biopewer” to refer to what be Secicy. He argued that over the pust few cetures, icope has moved s decree Serve mechasams of contrel sich we maliry force and an increase n socal orl trough individual elf spine. is conception of modern power was novel in tht i conraed with existing models that conceptualized power a5 “domnation, tha is 35 3 Ceualized and wepresive fee ered by ene group over aother—a Spossssiou" wheh could be acquired and inposed on others throgh physealetercon. Raber, be deerbed power as dispersed troughout Scie, iheeat in social relationships, embedded in a network of practets,instinuions, and technolyges-operting on all ofthe “mie Tevel of everydy if "Blopower, Foucault aserted, operas on our very bodies, realating them threugh self-dsciplinary practices wich tee each sop, hereby subjgating ourelves. ts force eves from ts ‘ily to function tough "knowledge and desre™—the production of| Seiemific Knowledge ‘which rests ita discowrse of norms. and ommality, © which indviuls desire to conform. Indvidals has ‘Azam Anopolgis #13: p.21-36,01955 Asscaon of Suet “Androl, Dearest cf Amtropley, Univers of Arizona Tucson, volunaly consol themselves by selFimgosing conformity to calturt fame thowgh slfsurveilance and elfiseipinary prctices, specially these of the body such as the selegultion of hygiene, Irth, sn suai FFoucaults cencepion of power is imporant to medical antropslogiss who are concemed withthe Seta regulation of the plyical bod. "Biopower” isa wsful concept for ah antropology of the body bot because st focuses on the bay a the Ste of SUDJUZAION, tnd Because highlights how indvdoale are implicated in ther ows fonpresson a they priate in habitual daly oly practices and routines. While many medical antropologiss have considered how oily habits and pracices we selally and cultrally diven and centred, fo hve taken adantge of Foucault’ useful famework ‘km bew both the indvidas! and society are implicated ia Papetiting such peacices. Yer whle Foueaul's concepts at alghening, his wings fequnlyabetnet, aking concrete, speci ‘examples from everyday ie wo ground it.The eotribation of thit pape inne to rng tpeter am sine! dy of theay ad comer ‘mandane examples of bodily practe in Westen cultre so thst each ‘ight help toilluminate he oer Following an introdiction to Feacal's work, the paper applies the _cencept of biopower to thee areas of routine boil practice arog mek fd expecially women, demonstrating how the ieal ef physical fies, forms of femininty, and cbsterial pactices all cantabute 9 te ‘retion of “cle bie. The paper fines by considering why some Scholars have found Fouls conception of poner tobe problematic. 1 ‘encios that while useful Fotcalts model of powers paral and must be understood as complementary (0, and not a substiuie for, ‘bgerstundings of yower whic focus on te domination of the powerful ‘over subordiate groups FOUCAULT ON BIoPOWER ‘Accordag to Foucault, politcal oer is mainained though the producton of “dacile bodir"=pasive, subjagted, and. preductve Individuals. Throegh its many insttutions~schools,hosptals, pisos, the family-the state brings ll aspeats of fe under is eonrollcg gz. ‘The iasitutcnal dsepiting, suede, and punishment of the body crates bodies that are hbitated‘o extemal fegulion, working" ‘Gsepine te body, optrize its capabilities, extort Hs ores, meses ‘wefulness and daily, integrate it ito systems of ffciant and ‘economic conte" (Fonaul 19803139)-and tus produce the pes of bodies that sciry requis. Pye: Power md Ril Psce a Foucault visualizes power as operating at two poles: dhe human species apd he man Do. The forme! cones a blopoitis ofthe ‘opulation”-the regulation ef populations though the aplication of {tence to interventionsinto reproiction moral nd rbd. The Taner concerns the anipuation and contol of individual. bods Diilinary techniques ceaize tine, space and daly practices these Techniques are instiuionalzed in schol, prisons, hospitals, and trerkope, but alae intemalzed i individ thwugh self regulating Behaviors. Sexuality is Key focus of power becaue through its regulation power can operate at bath pl, controling both poplaione tnd individ Tocalt tel that power it rot imposed from above by a omirat group, but ae ces Hombelow’- We ar al the veces of pover becauseitis embodied indisccurses and norms tat ae par of| the minute pracaces, habit and intesctons of our every Ives. ‘Thus, power is crerywher: is “eerced fom ingumerable pints, in| ‘he iterpiy” ef noxepaliaran and mobile lations” (Foucault 198054). As such, Foucaul’s concep of pover stnds in opposition to the "epresive pothesis, 4 perspective which conceives af power as lomsitatin, coercion, an the suppression of desire and uth, operating by way of iw, boo, ad censontip (Dreyfus and Kabinow 1982). For Foacalt, ower is productive, no epresive. I operts by producing knowlege and dese”. The lente dicoune of medicine, te rimina justice sjstem psychiauy. andthe socal sciences produce now font of knowlaigs- “Phe knowledge i mt nowral ce Objective, He represents particular pespectves,comentions, and motvatios. The (ope of kaowledge poised allem cur behavier and hata onelingtfect on otr bodes, sch that Knowledges imsepanble fom ec nd aoe ely ily ot at: the no power IIS Rett ine fot os ta ef ee oy Twi ds at eae cme ane ie owe For example, in The Binh ofthe Clini, Foucaalt describes how the ‘medial profssicn gained prestige by employing “sientiic™ krowledge, ‘which gave it ensideable power in defining realty (Foucault 197). ‘Measne, rough such means as the ereton of aiease caepodes, scquied the pover to define the “normal” snd ieniy the “devin ‘The medical profession this hal the atority t0 crste satsical rmeastre-nors gait which all individalscould be judged. Throagh the procs of sormulizaton, power & beet "woulizng', boeause i cont all aspects of life by creating presare to confer tonoems, and “indivi”, because those who ll ouside the nem te marked 8 deviant and get with disciplinary suaeies designed neuralize However, such confomity 8 sot achieved thragh coercion or fore, bat rater tough denier By consmcing compton of nomaliy and deviance, power makes the rorms appea mon eight” ‘ol eens the dose to eonform dese nos ote wold tea fg hey cal on we 1 pes SST SE Se ee ‘Seen he nn of «so Spiga ly re Fegan eae wads ecw he eel deseeand so we ieee fom ping Kawi pes Power tha operates through beth the prdiction of kaowldge, and the creation of desi to conform to the norms thi this knowledge Senblister. hit derive 9 conform lade people to etn ther one ‘oppression volunaiy, trough se dsciplining and self-uveilance, ‘Sc-menitoring is achieved on tvo interacting levels: practice and ‘scour Individuals fel compelled to regulate their bod o confor ‘omorms, bat also to alk about what they “shoo” and "sould not” do ‘nd "cones any deviation from ese norms. Power is strongest when it sable to mast itself “Is sucess is roportinal 19 is ablzy to hide is own mechanism” (Redes 19808:88). The manipulation of desire is one mechanism by which ower masks tsetf-8y making tht which conseaining appear sive snl desiable. Power can also be disguise a resistance. For example, eval ses thereressine hype 3 deception, Whit Seemingly opposing power by pointing to its coersve and reeesive mare, ave terion sey from the wore tail moctenios of prwer onthe “nero-vels" of everyday life. When power mete with esisanc, itt tt cvenome it snply Bods new ways of manifesting Hels "power ‘ reteat he, reafpanize its oe, ive isl elsewhere nd the ‘atl cntinoe (East RDM SE. There ia constant iirntion power and resstacs in which powerasserts itself mets wih resistance, fl responds hy resseting itn new pse FATANDETNESS Foxcault describes the historical emergence of biopower as the ‘mina sysem of social corrl Inte of ts Iran cf powerPye: Power an Rasy Prasice s snd resistance, Taking the example of sexual, e sats that sexuality In elgneeni’ century Euroge tepan to te an object of reqressre suveilance and control. But such preston ld to "an intensification of ‘ich iva desire, fr, a and over in bay” Foacaae 195065. ‘he respons in fe twenied cenury was restance—the revo of be sexual body. Bet when pover meets vesistnee, tusfor fining new avemes of expression” When corrl by repress force, power reamertd toll az centrel by dei. Tho new mesrae: "Get’‘undressed-but be im goodlooking, tanned!” (Foes 1980b'7), Bower cans to opera bythe ren ofa dais to achione the "perfect body, troagh sich disciplinary pactces as physic fitness sctviues andthe nonitering af body weight “The cbsessicn with the fi, th, an heay bedy (Qe eas at Save come 1 be entansed and tated as equvalen) has resubed fom ‘he cratlon of two pes of discouse. The fist a heah dscouse, ‘which ncuies beth knowledge reduce by the melicalpofesion and ‘he popular discourse ef heath wich kes co sitet. Tus Alscoure presents te fit and thin body as heathy tnd teas the ‘overweight or waft boty as unbealhy and devia. Sehwarte (1986) Assrites how historically the defntion of "aormal” body weight has become increasingly ressictel. Inthe fist hal of We weet ent, the cancer with overveigh increased substnaly, but “ke nation adm grown sadn Beaver rather the olraies tad sowed” (Schwartz 1986:159), Barly beigh-weigt chats were based on sel popultion sveraen, but gradually dey wore adjusted to wflet a ie Instead of amean Sock norms of “health” emerged deep the lack of 2 ‘medical bade fr evaluating what was an “soa” body weight The Second type of Gscouse isthe product of the media 2nd advenisng induc. "Tit discourse portage the Bt ant thin body ar ot cay belty, bat also beau abd sex. The unit body is upy unseny nd impor. “Although fequenty presented in sie” aad “ojectve" ems, talk about felth snot alu ree: moral discaurse. The aft ed Dverveight body is devant It is asoclaed with persnal esponsibility and immorality. Lack of fness isthe inlvieal’s own fault-she maimsins an unbelthy “etl she i zy, gutonous, de, tunvinaoos. This ideology is ler in ove indvidu's commer that an ‘sual acess heabh ear system ss ane which “taxes the wrnuou (0 Send the inprovident to te hovpital” (cited in Cravford 1977569. ay emphasis). The eology of invtual esponsity for teal crests 8 belie in «personal aieaton to maintsn good health trough diet hd anes acuvases: "would lan much more Inthe diet, omc 2% ARIZONA ANTHROPOLOGIST ‘wation, of saying that health is a dry, that one has an obigaon to Preserve one own oc! heilh” (Leon Kas, cit in Crawford 197.668). The idea of imposing economie penalties on those Who cenjage 8 “appropri” beth behavior, atch as Overeating and Smoking has even been proposed. The targets of these proposed peaalict are slostive; fer example, thy do not tage undeeaters Swerkaoles (Niche and Newer 1991). "AS Foucault us, nowldse isnot eutral-coneptons of normality nd deviance are ‘mayufacured so a (0 create the types of Boies that society needs. Tt ‘ould hardly he qeoducive ma captat eciety to economically etlize workaholic, “Ths mon discourse i intrmalie by indvidan, leading self suneillace. Finesshianess, monly, and sefaisciplixe come 16 imo ove ance, s0 tha "thesis believed to bean unmistakable finn of vel-cenel, dispine, and wil power. The thin person is a2 ‘ample of mastey of mind ove body and viruous selfeial (Geawior 196470, Conrad (1994) found th infermans felt good esctcstg, nx only physally, but morally. One informa stated tha ‘he felt "food about doing i snthe stated that runing made be Insslf beter” (Conrad 19942). In contrast, lack of exercise and fipess se seen by sormants 2 moral fang] dssppoted ‘myself because [mow wnt [shoud be deng” (Conrad 1994394), and Sain: "People who are overwerph ate slovenly. They are weal o# pupose” (Crawford 198871). The fint of these two statements ‘S2tonstats bow indvidals ae compelled to confess deviance fom te non; the second shows that thse wo fal ouside he nom are ndvializd” as Jovian HHeith i thus equited with fess and thinness, and achieved Utrough the vious adherence to dicilinary regimes of dit and teres imposed upon oresel. A Univerty of Califia study found that opt RDS of tine year-old girs waded organi ther ow ive ‘ound deingjogging cally and counting ealoesebsessiely Bordo 1189). SelF-oaitoring is fostoed though the commercial prodocion of 1 wide singe of technologies of sureliare: bathroom sels, alore- cunting bles, Beight- weight charts dict books and product, exercise suipment, and. nuridonlinforition chart on. packiged foods ‘According o Sehwaras (1986) sural analyis, a tolerance fr any Sight deviation from the norms of body weight deteasd, weighing foreselfbocane mre private nd more regular-changing from a ‘rcasioral weighing athe doctor's ofce a par ofa health xamation, {o diy weighing i the pivay ofthe bathroom, inthe moeniag and raked 59 a6 10 Bethe ost prcie (and lovest) possitle meas. Pvp: Power Boily Price a Today, electronic seals mesure body weight to the marest quarer pound Tower is mst successful, Foucault asses, whan it can flectively ‘do mechanions ed oe way whieh it ckiver his by crating ese "The fies dscoune is replete with references not only 10 morality and diciplin, bur alee to plow, Discipline i. dh transformed from consrunt o bration. A book on running tlle us that renning "belpe t fad our meio spinal od intellect poten, simulating mediation, prodacing relaxation, and lieing fees (De. Georg Sheehan, sited Cillk 1684-40) ‘The association Of ftess with fn is evdest in anoter boek tt, “Fimess Throeeh Pleaste: A Guide to Super Heath for People Who Like to Have a Good Time" (Cawford 198494, "Power can also mask itself as resiance or empowerment. In thediscouse of tess ane thinness, fee inked to will power, empowerment to selfdsciplie. Welaht Watcers is viewed is empowering, and Jane Fonds elims tat “Disepline is Literatien”, aging that body consciousness isa means ‘ovarks amyp Power and Baily Pre » the “cro-bvels of everyday lif"-operting inthe home through self basis for mang elms spuinsta seit society (Phelan 1950 Hock frtr ape at Fossa ier gods socal change tbccause oftheir tendeney to make fower "disappear If power is net seve by one gronp over another, it ie stead enmeshedin two (of relatons, hen dination cant be located: Power is everwhere, fra s0 ultinnely nowhere" (Hartack 1990170). Uneqaal power ‘elation: of dominion ad subordination se lel oat ofthe pete! yp Fower snd oily Pte os ‘ea priya eis Ine ou a ney ae hak ‘pecs oman te many Bye fe. sok 9018) | were al belived tebe equally engaged in our om domination, his an lead toa type of vitinblaming in which we are all esponble for fur own siuston. If power is dspesed and cannot be lecated at bantclar ses of domination, then how can we coma i? Farhermor, ven if power i sispene, i it equally spened, or re there points of Concentration? Foucault charges ober theorists wa ignoring the ct ‘hat power comes “rom below” and operates through self-surllance: he is couner-charged with gnoig the tuctaral power imbalances in soci. ‘onicilly, Foucats ideas of Inowlelge and power can be ‘mpleyd i ertical evaluation ot his own cams. If al knoviedge is manuictre, then how do xe jodge th tah that Foust is offering also claims that power masts its, as othe authors hive pti, "by Prodaing adaceuse seemingly oppored toi but really prt of larger {eploment of modem power” (Deyfas and Rabinow 1982;130). Could Fucus done not be, by his oun angus, june each @ dacouns? While seeming oppose power, he has ben charged wit preventing us from locating domination in ode a defeat and fom making appeals to tnth in the mime of liberation. Pover is everywher, it ennot be Tsolaed and ovecome. one ssten of power can only be replaced by note, and therefore fundamental change isnot posible. The idea of ‘opower may ionicaly be intreted as anther manifestation ofthe power it describes, serving the state by claiming that change is Impossible ad hereby preventing us frem acting. Although I would at argue tht Foucailt seats to oppress us, fis inerpretion Mfumnates the problems f looting st power tations only from the perspective of blopewer. The mpications of Foacauts conception of perfor sora change are thus yroblematic, and asa comprehensive theory of power it ‘hs conainlmiusons. Yer enains an impor comtibuteh toot undestandng of the complexity f the operon ef poer on multiple levels and troup ulipe means id, Suan 1909 The ay ante Rpt eniny AFeit “prom of Foca Ie Sonn © apenas Candee al orto i oni Nev NR