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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
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