RE: social constraint as power


------ =_NextPart_000_01BAB691.DF765FA0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

In her essay, "Foucault on Modern Power", Nancy Fraser writes that=20
"social constraint, or in Foucault's terms, 'power', circulates in and
through the production of discourses in societies".

Does Foucault explicitly write of power as social constraint and, if so,
where? Are there writers besides Fraser who have written about
power as social constraint?

Debra Shogan

Dear Debra,
The obvious question that follows: What exactly is meant by social =
constraint?
I have always thought that 'power' is constituted in social =
interaction. This is to say that the range of physically possible action =
is constrained by the social need to act in concert. For example, =
although humans are capable of uttering a wide range of noises, they =
constrain themselves and are constrained by the community to make sounds =
which are conventionally recognizable. In this manner we get the dual =
sense of power Foucault describes, power which disables and enables. It =
disables in the sense that a whole range of possible action is ruled out =
of hand. It enables in the sense that the 'chosen' or conventional =
actions actually function to create social action.=20
This depiction tends to dilute the sinister elements often associated =
with Foucault's power analysis, however, the traces are still clearly =
discernable. For example the manner in which a certain pattern of action =
is elevated to a socially prescribed pattern need not be democratic, =
rational, efficient, etc.. Individuals or groups who have an interest in =
maintaining or undermining a particular schema can exert their interests =
and influence or determine the manner in which the society conducts its =
affairs.

Hagen FInley
Berkeley, CA



------ =_NextPart_000_01BAB691.DF765FA0
Content-Type: application/ms-tnef
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
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------ =_NextPart_000_01BAB691.DF765FA0--


------------------

Partial thread listing: