Study Day: Michel Foucault, 'Panopticism' - Minutes: Discussion 1.2 and 1.3
1.2 Discussion:
1) Patrick Nevelling "Spirits of capitalism and the discipline it takes to resist: the production of shirts, surplus and social relations in a Mauritian garment factory"
In the first part of the Study day of the section "Interests and Power" Patrick Nevelling gave a lecture about the "Spirits of capitalism and the discipline it takes to resist: the production of shirts, surplus and social relations in a Mauritian garment factory".
Nevelling handed out the manuscript to the participants and said that the title would not really catch up the topic, because the term "resistance" would not be part of the lecture. In another context, the term played a role in the discussion.
After the lecture, the participants discussed the connection between the terms knowledge and power at the basis of the example "Mauritian garment factory".
Different opinions about the applicability of Foucault’s text: Discipline and Punish, ranging from: the power mechanism in the factory is similar to what Foucault said (text is useful as a blueprint) to: there are too great differences were expressed.
The main points of the lively discussion were:
- The concept of resistance, which was not so much outlined in the speech The idea came up that there might be forms of solidarity among the workers, between workers and a leader of a group etc. against the big power at the head of a factory. There was doubt how much empirical evidence for resistance really exist. Other "factory-examples" became known
- The difference between direct and indirect pressure and the power over people or groups
The Meaning of different forms of taking pressure over people/groups were also discussed (controlling by software, poster site etc., controlling via personal contact). - The character of the power structure (stable/relative)
- The effectiveness of using power in a capitalistic system
- And the similarities between forms of presentation of power (Art Gallery vs. Prison)
The discussion delivered another insight to the empiricism in the Mauritian factory, which gave helpful suggestions for the discussion about power - knowledge relations. In sum: The example was well chosen to contribute to the relationship between power and knowledge, using Foucault’s text as a blueprint
1.3 Comprehensive discussion
The comprehensive discussion at the end of the Study day embraced the other two lectures:
2) Asma Helali "The political mechanism of the transmission in the medieval Arabic Islamic world"
3) Sourav Kargupta "Disciplince and love. The case of 19th century Bengal" The discussion focussed on the relation between power and knowledge and found out that the use of the blueprint "Foucault" is not always helpful.
The main ideas that came up in the face of lecture 2 were:
- The two figures Kargupta brought in the discussion were discussed as forms of Apollonian and Dionysian forces living in contrasting spaces of power.
- The colonial position was discussed
- Therefore it also became interesting, if it is possible to separate Foucault’s idea from the European context
- The role of women in face of two different powers and their horizons were mentioned.
In sum: The world of the Bengali middle class men and women by contrast to the world Foucault had in mind does not separate strictly between the power and the dependants.
The dominant idea that came up in the face of lecture 3:
In this example the power - knowledge relation depends on the struggle of knowledge. There is no real separation between knowledge and power. Both traditions want to reach fully power through the declaration of knowledge.
The use of Foucault’s text as a blueprint is not that useful.
keeper of the minutes: Inga Beinke