Re: Foucault, Governmentality and Drug Use

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> I remember a passage or a reference ( I should look it up) where he compa=
res
> drug prevention strategies with the struggle against masturbation in earl=
ier
> centuries.=20
> another interesting issue from archives from juvenile treatment early
> 20century institutions for re-education and prisons youth delinquents is=
the
> struggle against /the popularity of tobacco
> contact me if you want to know more ( I=B9ll look it up)
> denoix=20
>=20
> Hello All!=20
>=20
> I am in the midst of preparing a conference paper on the topic of adolesc=
ent
> drug use, identity formation and public policy. I am especially interesti=
ng in
> the meaning of drug use for young people, either in terms of recreational=
use
> or more dependent or problematic drug use. I recall from my doctoral rese=
arch
> Foucault's position on the relationship between various 'practices of the
> self' and the process of subjectivation; I would like to examine drug use=
as
> one such practice of the self and the role such practices have in shaping
> young peoples' understanding of their own identity. I am also interested =
in
> the slightly more overtly political issue of the state and governmentalit=
y, ie
> what rationalities of government and public policy inform the state's pos=
ition
> on illicit drug use and the state's attempts to design and implement
> strategies intended to prevent, treat and/or rehabilitate drug users. My =
sense
> is that the state's approach to drugs policy is premised upon notions of =
the
> 'normal subject' or the healthy citizen in which drug use is seen as a
> profound contravention of the norms of citizenship and normal, healthy
> subjectivity. Foucault's work on biopolitics and governmentality might be
> useful here in developing greater understanding of the rationalities impl=
icit
> in the state's attempts to prevent or limit drug use, and the effects of
> public policies aimed at preventing drug harms.
>=20
> As I understand it, Foucault made only fleeting reference to the topic of=
drug
> use in his own writings, and only in terms of the importance of 'limit
> experiences' and what some foucauldian scholars have called the 'politics=
of
> pleasure'. Does anyone on the list know of any other references to drug u=
se
> within Foucault's writings, or of any 'foucault-inspired' writings on the
> topic of young people and drugs? I am trying to develop a thesis around y=
oung
> people's use of illicit substances and various practices of the self thro=
ugh
> which young people attempt to shape a self of certain qualities and
> properties. My gut feeling is that public policy which attempts to
> problematise drug use as the province of delinquent and/or disaffected pe=
rsons
> really misunderstands the meaning of drug use for young people today. I a=
m not
> trying to suggest or imply that more liberal or libertarian approaches to=
drug
> use should be countenanced, only that public policy is likely to continue=
to
> fail to reach young people as long as it misunderstands what makes drug u=
se so
> 'normal' and unproblematic for so many young people. I would love to hear=
what
> other listers might think about these matters!
>=20
> Many thanks,=20
>=20
> Cameron Duff=20
> Research Officer=20
> Centre for Youth Drug Studies
> Australian Drug Foundation
> PO Box 818 North Melbourne 3051
> Tel 03 9278 8118
> Fax 03 9328-3008
> cameron@xxxxxxxxxx
> www.adf.org.au=20
>=20
>=20
>=20

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<HEAD>
<TITLE>Re: Foucault, Governmentality and Drug Use</TITLE>
</HEAD>
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<BLOCKQUOTE>I remember a passage or a ref=
erence ( I should look it up) where he compares drug prevention strategies w=
ith the struggle against masturbation in earlier centuries. 
another interesting issue from archives from juvenile treatment early 20cen=
tury institutions  for re-education and prisons youth delinquents is th=
e struggle against /the popularity of tobacco 
contact me if you want to know more ( I’ll look it up) 
denoix 
 
Hello All! 
 
I am in the midst of preparing a c=
onference paper on the topic of adolescent drug use, identity formation and =
public policy. I am especially interesting in the meaning of drug use for yo=
ung people, either in terms of recreational use or more dependent or problem=
atic drug use. I recall from my doctoral research Foucault's position on the=
relationship between various 'practices of the self' and the process of sub=
jectivation; I would like to examine drug use as one such practice of the se=
lf and the role such practices have in shaping young peoples' understanding =
of their own identity. I am also interested in the slightly more overtly pol=
itical issue of the state and governmentality, ie what rationalities of gove=
rnment and public policy inform the state's position on illicit drug use and=
the state's attempts to design and implement strategies intended to prevent=
, treat and/or rehabilitate drug users. My sense is that the state's approac=
h to drugs policy is premised upon notions of the 'normal subject' or the he=
althy citizen in which drug use is seen as a profound contravention of the n=
orms of citizenship and normal, healthy subjectivity. Foucault's work on bio=
politics and governmentality might be useful here in developing greater unde=
rstanding of the rationalities implicit in the state's attempts to prevent o=
r limit drug use, and the effects of public policies aimed at preventing dru=
g harms. 
 
As I understand it, Foucault made =
only fleeting reference to the topic of drug use in his own writings, and on=
ly in terms of the importance of 'limit experiences' and what some foucauldi=
an scholars have called the 'politics of pleasure'. Does anyone on the list =
know of any other references to drug use within Foucault's writings, or of a=
ny 'foucault-inspired' writings on the topic of young people and drugs? I am=
trying to develop a thesis around young people's use of illicit substances =
and various practices of the self through which young people attempt to shap=
e a self of certain qualities and properties. My gut feeling is that public =
policy which attempts to problematise drug use as the province of delinquent=
and/or disaffected persons really misunderstands the meaning of drug use fo=
r young people today. I am not trying to suggest or imply that more liberal =
or libertarian approaches to drug use should be countenanced, only that publ=
ic policy is likely to continue to fail to reach young people as long as it =
misunderstands what makes drug use so 'normal' and unproblematic for so many=
young people. I would love to hear what other listers might think about the=
se matters! 
 
Many thanks, 
 
Cameron Duff 
Research Officer<FON=
T FACE=3D"Verdana"> 
Centre for Youth Drug Studies</FON=
T> 
Australian Drug Foundation<=
/FONT> 
PO Box 818 North Melbourne 3051<BR=
>
Tel 03 9278 8118 
Fax 03 9328-3008 
cameron@xxxxxxxxxx 
www.adf.org.au 
 
 
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