hi richard,
if you want to understand how foucault conceptualizes resistance and power
you must begin by thinking in terms of relations. that is, think of your
everyday life as comprised of myriad relations--of what you can see, speak,
of subjectivities, of knowledge and of power--which are all animated by a
dynamic of forces. these fields of relations are always contested, always in
the midst of struggle. and those relations are always assymetrical or
uneven.
in short, power is always in relation to that which resists it. by
definition then, there are no power relations without resistance. of course
those relations are to varying degrees strategic, tactical, and functional.
and given that they are assymetrical, there are always dominant relations of
power.
but foucault never posited an omnipotent power against which we feebly
struggle. he famously called power (in a constituted and dominant form)
'blind and weak' (cf. 'questions on the clarification of power' in foucault
live).
i always recommend the 'method' chapter in history of sexuality v. 1 as an
accessible and comprehensive entry point for understanding foucaultian
power.
good luck in your studies,
mark coté
On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 10:44:31 +0000 foucault-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
>
> Hi there my name is Richard Turner and I am an undergraduate student at
the
> Univeristy of Edinburgh.
>
> The real reason I have joined this list is to try and tap you all for your
> knowledge!! I am struggling a bit with my reading of Foucault and I want
to
> know what Foucault would say about what it meant to resist power.
>
> Can anyone help?
>
> Richard
> _______________________________________________
> Foucault-L mailing list
>
if you want to understand how foucault conceptualizes resistance and power
you must begin by thinking in terms of relations. that is, think of your
everyday life as comprised of myriad relations--of what you can see, speak,
of subjectivities, of knowledge and of power--which are all animated by a
dynamic of forces. these fields of relations are always contested, always in
the midst of struggle. and those relations are always assymetrical or
uneven.
in short, power is always in relation to that which resists it. by
definition then, there are no power relations without resistance. of course
those relations are to varying degrees strategic, tactical, and functional.
and given that they are assymetrical, there are always dominant relations of
power.
but foucault never posited an omnipotent power against which we feebly
struggle. he famously called power (in a constituted and dominant form)
'blind and weak' (cf. 'questions on the clarification of power' in foucault
live).
i always recommend the 'method' chapter in history of sexuality v. 1 as an
accessible and comprehensive entry point for understanding foucaultian
power.
good luck in your studies,
mark coté
On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 10:44:31 +0000 foucault-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>
>
> Hi there my name is Richard Turner and I am an undergraduate student at
the
> Univeristy of Edinburgh.
>
> The real reason I have joined this list is to try and tap you all for your
> knowledge!! I am struggling a bit with my reading of Foucault and I want
to
> know what Foucault would say about what it meant to resist power.
>
> Can anyone help?
>
> Richard
> _______________________________________________
> Foucault-L mailing list
>