The mention that "slaves constituted property as well as a social class and were exploited under a system that sanctioned white ownership of black bodies and black labor," immediately brought Michel Foucault's theory on "docile bodies" to mind. In Discipline and Punish, Foucault characterizes the docile body as a pliable object that institutions attempt to control and restrict in order to exercise power. It is extremely clear that this was the case with slavery. From examining the posture, movement, and relaxation/or lack thereof of an individual's body, further insights on the various structures of power can easily be developed. Furthermore, given the history of sexual harassment and assault against Black women, I wonder where the line stands between using physical violence as a tool to assert one's power and using it to gain it. I believe very convincing arguments can be made for both sides, but it would be interesting to analyze trends over the years, as I believe that time plays a major role in this.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Docile Bodies
Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham,
The mention that "slaves constituted property as well as a social class and were exploited under a system that sanctioned white ownership of black bodies and black labor," immediately brought Michel Foucault's theory on "docile bodies" to mind. In Discipline and Punish, Foucault characterizes the docile body as a pliable object that institutions attempt to control and restrict in order to exercise power. It is extremely clear that this was the case with slavery. From examining the posture, movement, and relaxation/or lack thereof of an individual's body, further insights on the various structures of power can easily be developed. Furthermore, given the history of sexual harassment and assault against Black women, I wonder where the line stands between using physical violence as a tool to assert one's power and using it to gain it. I believe very convincing arguments can be made for both sides, but it would be interesting to analyze trends over the years, as I believe that time plays a major role in this.
The mention that "slaves constituted property as well as a social class and were exploited under a system that sanctioned white ownership of black bodies and black labor," immediately brought Michel Foucault's theory on "docile bodies" to mind. In Discipline and Punish, Foucault characterizes the docile body as a pliable object that institutions attempt to control and restrict in order to exercise power. It is extremely clear that this was the case with slavery. From examining the posture, movement, and relaxation/or lack thereof of an individual's body, further insights on the various structures of power can easily be developed. Furthermore, given the history of sexual harassment and assault against Black women, I wonder where the line stands between using physical violence as a tool to assert one's power and using it to gain it. I believe very convincing arguments can be made for both sides, but it would be interesting to analyze trends over the years, as I believe that time plays a major role in this.
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Very strong post! I appreciate you bringing Michel Foucault into the conversation. You might enjoy the supplementary reading on the household and the slave market as it delves into the dynamic between slaves and masters and slaves and traders and brings to light the ways that power over an enslaved person's body defined a white man's identity.
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