What was the theory of Foucault?

Power was alla bout king, beginning torture as a public display disappeared and
Oscar also liked physical pain. It became more decent and humane. The one who
performed the punisher so the public didnt know woh it was because of his hood.
When it came to the modern age it was more about social factors than about
punishing. The motive behind the crime became more relevant.

It goes from body perspective to body perspective. So it becomes a central

discipline, his view is more about the soul than the body. Middle class wanted to
replace the nobility. In order to maintain order they had to. They wanted to
discipline people so they could return to society. Prisoners had to come back to
normalization. People are useless when dead, therefore they needed the mto
be alive to better labourer. The rise of capitalism had a massive thing to do with
it. Punishment & Discipline became crucial. The punishment was efficient and
effective. Average is normal. Being an individual is abnormal. One cannot be
abnormal. Group forms the individual. Individuals do not form the group. Not only
do they want people to behaviour normally but people had to be good labourers.
They kept track of time. They used time to optimmize the correct behaviour.
(Soldiers) First there were rules. Now, the laws said what should be done. Look at
it as a positive switch. There were rewards if you obeyed the rules. Discipline was
to benefit the efficiency of the system. By observing them they got the people to
do what they wanted. So, time tables were to help the efficiency and control the
people. There wasnt one individual who had the power. It became so
complicated that there wasnt some individual who had all the power, like before
(King). One is so used to being observed, one behaves as if observed even when
they are not. One is always supervised because you have the feeling you are.
Negative tone towards individualism. Individuals are those who deviate from the
norm. Empirical sciences: if you differ from the mean, you need to be fixed. You
cant correct people if you dont know how they should be> biopower: people are
now produced according to how you should be. That process is done via the
hierarchial observatio, examination, and normalizing judgement.
Hierarchical observation: teacher, tutor, somebody who is above the norm
and can give direction and norms. The one who has knowledge has the power.
Examination: proof that we pass, fail, have the knowledge. You are graded.
Knowledge to a certain level. Compared to the average, of what is expected of
you. They test you and judge you based on your result.
Normalizing judgement. People can fail to reach certain required standards.
That was the main function of the disciplinary system, to correct behavior. He
wanted to reach discipline through imposing norms. You stand in a group of
people. The judgement of other people and distinguish yourselves. Certain norm
how a mother should behave, social norm, if you dont live up to the norm to
society judges you for it.
To summarize: He recognized observation, so you supervise te students or
soldiers. From there on new things developed, architecture, so one could better
observe people, than they got more into the tactics on how to change the
behavior. Then they came up with the timetable to work more efficient, with the
examination, norms were fixed, to live up to the norm. If you dont, you fail. That

was normalization. The punishment transition: teachers should not only punish
bad children, but to reward children who did well and behaved well. Biopower
goes together with the power of knowledge. Science, industry, etc. were
considered powers because they helped the people to have more knowledge. Its
not about restricting behavior, its about producing power.
Similarities and differences between Elias and Foucault
Foucault calls it discipline, Elias is about self-control.
Better behaving society, both talking about how behavior and habits are formed.
Elias is about interdependencies and Foucault is about discipline and punishment.
Foucault is more spread over whole society, you cant appoint one individual,
with Elias you can. Foucault, the one with knowledge has power (not one specific
individual) , Elias, the king has the power. Elias does not mention capitalism. ( A
little bit on development of economics.) Foucault is more up-to-date. It is easier
to recognize, there are norms by knowledge and supervision by being watched.
Both are relevant, obviously. Elias promotes individualism, Foucault does not at
all.

Mother & Childcare Foucault

A mom is observed, hierarchically by doctors but also by the social norm. As a

mother you are judged. Not only the child gets judged for being different, but the
mother is responsible. The mother is responsible for raising a disciplined child,
according to Foucault.
Obesity judgement towards obese people. Current global epidemic. A slim
person is the norm. Obesity is not fitting the norm.
Dyslexia, ADHD. not fitting the norm, one is different. We try to change/help
people and make them more efficient. So, they fit in, they can live up to some
sort of norm. We give a normalizing judgement. We define it as dyslexia.
Mental disorders you have to be normalized, again, it gets a normalizing
judgement. In order to normalize you again, you are given medication, so you can
return to society and function normally and efficiently again.
PTSD its always existed, except now theres classification. It is recognized as
PTSD.
PMS- women used to be known as crazy nowadays women with PSM are normal
again. We classify it, we name it.
Obesity is costly for society. It has a greater disadvantage for society.
Pre Discussion Case 3
The relationship of Elias and Foucault between the construction and
risks of maternal and childhood risks

Brainstorm: evidence vs. policy, maternal risk, childhood risks, role of mothers,
responsibilities of risks, role of society, classification/ determination/
characterization of the diseases,
Learning goal 1: How are childhood diseases classified, measured, determined?
a) The relation to medicalization
b) Relation to proto professionalism

Learning goal 2: What is the role of the mothers? (norms of a good mother)
a) Responsibilities in/ of society
Learning goal 3: What is the relation of Elias and Foucault? What are the risks?
Learning goal 4: How are these risks constructed?
a) How does society deal with them?