From: Hagen Finley <hagen-AT-violet.berkeley.edu> Subject: RE: social constraint as power Date: Sun, 19 Nov 1995 15:15:03 -0800 ------ =_NextPart_000_01BAB691.DF765FA0 In her essay, "Foucault on Modern Power", Nancy Fraser writes that "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. 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 ------ =_NextPart_000_01BAB691.DF765FA0 eJ8+IiIXAQaQCAAEAAAAAAABAAEAAQeQBgAIAAAA5AQAAAAAAADoAAENgAQAAgAAAAIAAgABBJAG AAgDAAACAAAADQAAAAMAADAGAAAACwAPDgEAAAACAf8PAQAAAE0AAAAAAAAAgSsfpL6jEBmdbgDd AQ9UAgAAAQBkc2hvZ2FuQHBlci51YWxiZXJ0YS5jYQBTTVRQAGRzaG9nYW5AcGVyLnVhbGJlcnRh LmNhAAAAAB4AAjABAAAABQAAAFNNVFAAAAAAHgADMAEAAAAYAAAAZHNob2dhbkBwZXIudWFsYmVy dGEuY2EAAwAVDAIAAAACAfkPAQAAAE0AAAAAAAAAgSsfpL6jEBmdbgDdAQ9UAgAAAQBkc2hvZ2Fu QHBlci51YWxiZXJ0YS5jYQBTTVRQAGRzaG9nYW5AcGVyLnVhbGJlcnRhLmNhAAAAAAMA/g8GAAAA HgABMAEAAAAaAAAAJ2RzaG9nYW5AcGVyLnVhbGJlcnRhLmNhJwAAAAIBCzABAAAAHQAAAFNNVFA6 RFNIT0dBTkBQRVIuVUFMQkVSVEEuQ0EAAAAAAwAAOQAAAAALAEA6AAAAAAIB9g8BAAAABAAAAAAA AAYMAAAAAwAAMAcAAAALAA8OAAAAAAIB/w8BAAAAbQAAAAAAAACBKx+kvqMQGZ1uAN0BD1QCAAAA AGZvdWNhdWx0QGplZmZlcnNvbi52aWxsYWdlLnZpcmdpbmlhLmVkdQBTTVRQAGZvdWNhdWx0QGpl ZmZlcnNvbi52aWxsYWdlLnZpcmdpbmlhLmVkdQAAAAAeAAIwAQAAAAUAAABTTVRQAAAAAB4AAzAB AAAAKAAAAGZvdWNhdWx0QGplZmZlcnNvbi52aWxsYWdlLnZpcmdpbmlhLmVkdQADABUMAQAAAAMA /g8GAAAAHgABMAEAAAAqAAAAJ2ZvdWNhdWx0QGplZmZlcnNvbi52aWxsYWdlLnZpcmdpbmlhLmVk dScAAAACAQswAQAAAC0AAABTTVRQOkZPVUNBVUxUQEpFRkZFUlNPTi5WSUxMQUdFLlZJUkdJTklB LkVEVQAAAAADAAA5AAAAAAsAQDoBAAAAAgH2DwEAAAAEAAAAAAAAB2WsAQiABwAYAAAASVBNLk1p Y3Jvc29mdCBNYWlsLk5vdGUAMQgBBIABAB8AAABSRTogc29jaWFsIGNvbnN0cmFpbnQgYXMgcG93 ZXIAEgsBBYADAA4AAADLBwsAEwAPAA8AAwAAABEBASCAAwAOAAAAywcLABMADwAPAAMAAAARAQEJ gAEAIQAAAENBMzQxQUVFRjYyMUNGMTFBNzdBMDAyMEFGMzAwRjhFAEAHAQOQBgCABgAAEgAAAAsA IwAAAAAAAwAmAAAAAAALACkAAAAAAAMANgAAAAAAQAA5AIDxl9vUtroBHgBwAAEAAAAfAAAAUkU6 IHNvY2lhbCBjb25zdHJhaW50IGFzIHBvd2VyAAACAXEAAQAAABYAAAABurbU25fuGjTPIfYRz6d6 ACCvMA+OAAAeAB4MAQAAAAUAAABTTVRQAAAAAB4AHwwBAAAAGgAAAGhhZ2VuQHZpb2xldC5iZXJr ZWxleS5lZHUAAAADAAYQ3kuMoQMABxBpBQAAHgAIEAEAAABlAAAASU5IRVJFU1NBWSwiRk9VQ0FV TFRPTk1PREVSTlBPV0VSIixOQU5DWUZSQVNFUldSSVRFU1RIQVQiU09DSUFMQ09OU1RSQUlOVCxP UklORk9VQ0FVTFRTVEVSTVMsUE9XRVIsQwAAAAACAQkQAQAAAPYEAADyBAAAXwgAAExaRnXL76eO /wAKAQ8CFQKoBesCgwBQAvIJAgBjaArAc2V0MjcGAAbDAoMyA8UCAHByQnER4nN0ZW0CgzN3AuQH EwKAfQqACM8J2TvxFg8yNTUCgAqBDbELYGBuZzEwMxRQCwNs+GkzNg3wC1UUUQvyE1CqbxPQYwVA SQOgaASQAiAHkHNheSwgIsJGCGBjYXVsBUACIKMF0AR0UG93BJAiHFACTgBwY3kgRnJhuxGwBcB3 BRAT0AQgdBGAQwVACoUic29jBzEg2wWgAIB0HqALgHQcUAWxNwuAHoAclScfUQSQbXNpHFAncB3C JxxQIGByvmMc0B+QB5EhoQBwZAqFIx9wA2B1Z2gfYWUgJRsRZBygdGkdEW9m/CBkBAAFoAhwEbAk EyBCYxHACJBzIi4KhQqFRKZvB5Ech2V4C1BpIGD8dGwecB8DJmIjAyRQBCBfIE8kUhxQBpAncSwK hXfxG8FlPyAUsSWgJYEukdMfAxGgIGIHkGkNsClByR6laG8bsGF2LwQT0HMkQQbgdXQKhSs/IMc/ uSg9ZWIeoAYAMKBnAHD7Co8aeGMAQDR4NMYthgyCRCBUJZFvYnYmMHV9BCBxClATwCYyH3MCEGzB FaB3czogVx+CKfB3ANAqYgQAIAeAAHAFQGJ/HnAy/zQGOTMbgDDEB0B3/xwwH1IlMgVAH3Mi9Txy ILP/HyAx0AmAJ0YggSEhBJA8Id0mMS45cTyBPIF0MLAcId8fZCWCHqAZECrkaBOwKjDvB0AqcSMA BBBpAmA/gSYU/0FmIQJCIT0RJYI9RUgwQiGvREE8ISGSILFjBJB0Q6DXHIAb4TwQbQtQZRxQB0D7 QBQbsHUDgQQgCsAloBywvzXgRtImcTHQIoELgGckUOce8C/RRThubwQAB5AcUJ8lgR5wILclciKw ZWww8B9MgSRwTJRHzyChbW113QMAdESRMLAAwGtIwlMw/mQEIC4AKjAlYFGFMPACMK8mMUYzFhAF oGcDAHpNEv9DoBuRH3A8ggBwSDAe4SWg/0VwROQl8CCBEbAAgCrpHIf/L+EFAS+hHFAyZFSEJqFN Ev9RJAnwXANW0VpBW+ZQZFjV/x9zTiEwoEbhRUhGn0UwHND/QiExwSZiEYAkcF0TXKVd7/1E5CcR cGAwCfBBQAWxVSrfRwVMgRtgWKEqcWZTMCYU/0RBBQA4ICrRPUVDRjjMPIH9DbBwKjA6hAnwVFFE QSag/wpAKtFIowuABAAigRvwRuD/B4ACMAQgJnAxYwQQIFJCEv8D8B9wIcoyZVWxRfEiwTCg+x3Q MPByT4MfYEMxURIukf86cTtAIKBG4ArAKnEmogSR/1aUStklc1d1IaFUhSCgSoG/UFI14E2iJlNH GGzRdm4j/0miPTVGUhYQWoRCMHZGSVN/TyA88VhxE+AgUB6gJiBj/xxQe0JVohxQDcEqMVVhfDH4 dGMuVtImoDngWJJtQfcFwAnACGBwVGIwtQORQvP/OmEhkgDAISELcU3iBbFUMf8ikYCkNTA14Xth I8EFwATw/1ChdaEDkSnwSoElciOQf3f/USQLgBjgClBKYSFiDbAigv9IIXRfVKJIphHAT9Ml8iQR n4SiDdALcBGgKC1IYUVw1yGxG5BG4Hk1tUIEkFPg84tBHFBDQTW7Gd8a6Sg8L40fji81tRUxAJLg AAADABAQAAAAAAMAERAAAAAAQAAHMIAMqQnLtroBQAAIMIDxl9vUtroBHgA9AAEAAAAFAAAAUkU6 IAAAAAAeDQ= ------ =_NextPart_000_01BAB691.DF765FA0-- ------------------
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