Seonglae ChoHow does power operate in the process by which society defines what is normal and true?
Through his study of institutions such as prisons, psychiatric hospitals, schools, and hospitals, Foucault argued that modern power does not simply repress people by saying “Don’t.” Instead, it observes, classifies, and evaluates them, leading people to discipline themselves.
- Power/knowledge: Knowledge is not entirely neutral; it is intertwined with power relations.
- Disciplinary power: People are normalized through surveillance, examination, and evaluation.
- Panopticon: A structure of surveillance in which people do not know whether they are being watched, so they ultimately regulate their own behavior.
- Discourse: The rules that determine what can be spoken of as “truth” in a given era.
Power does not merely suppress us from above; it shapes the very ways in which we think and act.