Foucault and rational choice (part II)

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Hello ali, hello Jani,=20

Thanks for the references. I will look them =
up. Meanwhile, I would like to briefly explain why and how I transpose =
Foucault' concept of productive power into a rational choice context.

=20

In rational choice theories, the level of welfare that entities =
experience is almost always represented and measured according to their =
resource endowment. More precisely, the level of welfare of entities =
such as individuals or groups of individuals is usually assumed to be =
positively related to their wealth.=20

=20

This means most notably that when rational choice theorists study policy =
processes, they always assume that the only way by which the various =
policies that emanate from them can have an effect on the level of =
welfare that entities experience is by either supplementing or depleting =
their resource endowment.=20

=20

I use Foucault to develop a new way -a new dependant variable- to =
represent and measure the level of welfare that entities experience. =
More precisely, instead of representing and measuring the level of =
welfare that entities experience according to the quantity of resources =
that they own, I rather represent and measure it according to the extent =
to which they exercise and submit to power.

=20

As far as I can tell, it is Foucault that first made the point that the =
exercise of power is sought and resisted by entities because of its =
effects on the level of welfare that they experience. For example, =
Foucault claimed in Discipline and Punish that:

=20

=AB Discipline increases the forces of the body (in economic terms of =
utility).=BB (Foucault (in Rabinow), 1984: 182)

=20

According to Foucault, it is to increase the level of utility that they =
obtain from particular actions that other entities perform that entities =
seek to exercise some form of power (of discipline) over the way in =
which these other entities act. As well, it is by fear of seeing the =
level of utility that they obtain from particular actions that they =
themselves perform being reduced that entities resist submitting to =
forms of power (of discipline) that other entities seek to exercise over =
them.=20

=20

Thus, what I do in my thesis is that I represent and measure the effects =
that policies produce on the level of welfare that entities experience =
by making use of the extent to which entities exercise and submit to =
power rather than by making use of their resource endowment. I think =
that by doing so, I will be able to throw a new light on the logic that =
characterizes the way in which policy processes function and work =
because the logic by which states may modify the extent to which certain =
entities exercise and submit to power is, as far as I can tell by the =
means of my researches, quite different from the logic by which states =
may modify the way in which resources are allocated among entities.=20

=20

In my thesis, I mainly stress the new results that may be obtained =
concerning the logic that characterizes the way in policy processes =
function and work by making use of the extent to which entities exercise =
and submit to power rather that their resource endowment as a dependent =
variable to record and measure the welfare effects that are caused by =
the various policies that emanate from them. The reason why I do that is =
that the main audience that I target is rational choice theorists.

=20

Yet, I believe that my work complements as well Foucault's own work =
since what I basically do in my thesis is that I highlight the various =
tactics and strategies that entities may use to either put themselves in =
a position to exercise some form of power over the way in which other =
entities act as well as, conversely, the tactics and strategies that =
entities may use to resist submitting to certain form of powers that =
other entities wish to exercise over them.=20

=20

This, in my opinion, complements Foucault's own work since what Foucault =
mostly did in his own work is to study various methods, disciplines and =
techniques that have been used at different time periods to exercise =
power. Even though Foucault claimed that there exist tactics and =
strategies by which the exercise of power can be obtained and resisted, =
he never really identified what those tactics and strategies are. This, =
in my opinion, can be done with the help of rational choice methodology =
since choosing to either exercise or submit to power is, after all, a =
question of choice. =20

=20

I hope that this clarifies a little how Foucault's ideas concerning the =
productive aspect of power can be transposed and used in a rational =
choice context.=20

=20

Richard Levesque

=20

=20

=20

=20

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<FONT=20
size=3D3>Hello ali, hello=20
Jani, 
<FONT=20
size=3D3><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes">           &n=
bsp;           &nb=
sp;    =20
Thanks for the references. I will look them up. Meanwhile, I =
would like=20
to briefly explain why and how I transpose Foucault=92 concept of =
productive power=20
into a rational choice context.
<?xml:namespace =
prefix =3D o ns =3D=20
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>In rational choice theories, the level =
of welfare=20
that entities experience is almost always represented and measured =
according to=20
their resource endowment. More precisely, the level of welfare of =
entities such=20
as individuals or groups of individuals is usually assumed to be =
positively=20
related to their wealth. 
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>This means most notably that when =
rational choice=20
theorists study policy processes, they always assume that the only way =
by which=20
the various policies that emanate from them can have an effect on the =
level of=20
welfare that entities experience is by either supplementing or depleting =
their=20
resource endowment. 
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>I use Foucault to develop a new way =
=96a new=20
dependant variable- to represent and measure the level of welfare that =
entities=20
experience. More precisely, instead of representing and measuring the =
level of=20
welfare that entities experience according to the quantity of resources =
that=20
they own, I rather represent and measure it according to the extent to =
which=20
they exercise and submit to power.
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>As far as I can tell, it is Foucault =
that first=20
made the point that the exercise of power is sought and resisted by =
entities=20
because of its effects on the level of welfare that they experience. For =

example, Foucault claimed in Discipline and Punish that:
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </o:p>
<FONT=20
size=3D3>=AB Discipline increases the =
forces of the=20
body (in economic terms of utility).=BB (Foucault (in Rabinow), 1984:=20
182)
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>According to Foucault, it is to =
increase the level=20
of utility that they obtain from particular actions that other entities =
perform=20
that entities seek to exercise some form of power (of discipline) over =
the way=20
in which these other entities act. As well, it is by fear of seeing the =
level of=20
utility that they obtain from particular actions that they themselves =
perform=20
being reduced that entities resist submitting to forms of power (of =
discipline)=20
that other entities seek to exercise over them. 
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>Thus, what I do in my thesis is that I =
represent=20
and measure the effects that policies produce on the level of welfare =
that=20
entities experience by making use of the extent to which entities =
exercise and=20
submit to power rather than by making use of their resource endowment. I =
think=20
that by doing so, I will be able to throw a new light on the logic that=20
characterizes the way in which policy processes function and work =
because the=20
logic by which states may modify the extent to which certain entities =
exercise=20
and submit to power is, as far as I can tell by the means of my =
researches,=20
quite different from the logic by which states may modify the way in =
which=20
resources are allocated among entities. 
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>In my thesis, I mainly stress the new =
results that=20
may be obtained concerning the logic that characterizes the way in =
policy=20
processes function and work by making use of the extent to which =
entities=20
exercise and submit to power rather that their resource endowment as a =
dependent=20
variable to record and measure the welfare effects that are caused by =
the=20
various policies that emanate from them. The reason why I do that is =
that the=20
main audience that I target is rational choice theorists.
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>Yet, I believe that my work =
complements as well=20
Foucault=92s own work since what I basically do in my thesis is that I =
highlight=20
the various tactics and strategies that entities may use to either put=20
themselves in a position to exercise some form of power over the way in =
which=20
other entities act as well as, conversely, the tactics and strategies =
that=20
entities may use to resist submitting to certain form of powers that =
other=20
entities wish to exercise over them. 
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </o:p>
<FONT=20
size=3D3>This, in my opinion, complements =
Foucault=92s=20
own work since what Foucault mostly did in his own work is to study =
various=20
methods, disciplines and techniques that have been used at different =
time=20
periods to exercise power. Even though Foucault claimed that there exist =
tactics=20
and strategies by which the exercise of power can be obtained and =
resisted, he=20
never really identified what those tactics and strategies are. This, in =
my=20
opinion, can be done with the help of rational choice methodology since =
choosing=20
to either exercise or submit to power is, after all, a question of =
choice. <SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> 
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>I hope that this clarifies a little =
how Foucault=92s=20
ideas concerning the productive aspect of power can be transposed and =
used in a=20
rational choice context. 
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>Richard Levesque
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </o:p>
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </o:p>
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3> </o:p>
<o:p><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" =
size=3D3> </o:p></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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