Date: Tue, 1 Aug 1995 18:10 EST From: CCOLWELL-AT-UCIS.VILL.EDU Subject: Re: What is Power? Karen, 'Intentions' in this sense are attributable to relations of power. Or to those institutions, arrangements, 'dispotifs' in which relatiosn of power are concretized. Take the Panopticon: The intentions of those who invent or build Panopticons (prisons, hospitals, schools) are simply to control the inhabitants (or clients). But F argues that a number of other effects are produced by such structures, certain forms of subjectivity, e.g., the delinquent. Now, presumably, it is not the intention of those who run our criminal justice system to create delinquents. But we see (believe, interpret, argue, what have you) that there is nonetheless an intentional structure imbedded within the system to create delinquents. (Sorry, used 'imbedded' again') Instead of imbedded, try operative within the relatiosn of power, or functional, functioning. In some sense, the subject (rather than the 'self') is more than a heuristic device for F -- he argues that it is quite real, but nonetheless an effect, a product of power/knowledge relations (DP 29). If this helps, good. If not press me again and I will try to be clearer. Chip ------------------
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