Michel Foucault Notes on The Subject and Power

2/11/2013

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Anecdote about power and subject: Airport and husband and wife. Wife in JFK playing tic tac toe in Delta terminal

It is not enough to saythese are anti-authority struggles. We must try to define more precisely what they have in common. Michel Foucault p. 11

Terms

·         objectification

·         Banal facts

·         rationality

·         subject

·         transversal struggles (vs universal) p. 11

·         power effects

·         “immediate” struggles (close to them, nearby, proximal and effect on individuals; immediate enemy vs. chief enemy at elevators in 23 bldg). Immediate in that they want relief in the now not at a future date (no long now here; liberations, revolutions, ends of class struggles, etc.). These are anarchistic struggles

·         anarchistic

opposition to power of men over women

…of whites over blacks

…of parents over children

…of first world over third or second world

…of teachers over students

…of psychiatry over mentally ill

…of medicine over patients or the population

…of administration over the ways people live

…of literate over the non-literate (vs. illiterate)

…of wives over husbands

…of   <Can you add any?>

..of powerful over the oppressed and not free or liberated in a democracy



CONTEXT: This illustration appeared on the cover of the first issue of Goldman's anarchist magazine, Mother Earth. The magazine published writings on anarchism, news of national and international anarchist and labor activities, and poetry and drama criticism.

Excerpts from "Anarchism: What It Really Stands For"
(Anarchism and Other Essays, 1910) by Emma Goldman

"I shall begin with a definition.... Anarchism: The philosophy of a new social order based on liberty unrestricted by man-made law; the theory that all forms of government rest on violence, and are therefore wrong and harmful, as well as unnecessary."

"Anarchism, then, really stands for the liberation of the human mind from the dominion of religion; the liberation of the human body from the dominion of property: liberation from the shackles and restraint of government. Anarchism stands for a social order based on the free grouping of individuals for the purpose of producing real social wealth; an order that will guarantee to every human being free access to the earth and full enjoyment of the necessities of life, according to individual desires, tastes, and inclinations."

"Anarchism... is the great, surging, living truth that is reconstructing the world, and that will usher in the Dawn."

http://ucblibrary3.berkeley.edu/goldman/Curricula/FreeExpression/definition.html
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Chris Hedges on the Occupy Movement

2/8/2013

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Cut to the good part at 4:12" in when Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Chris Hedges begins discussing how POWER is being arrested from the people in our democracy. He talks about the power of civil disobedience and what happened in the Occupy movement.

Rosa Parks 50 years ago refused to sit in the back of the bus and it took 5 years before real change was evident nationally. That was her political speech act.

It's your job to do some background work on who Hedges is, how influential he is and what he has been up to lately relative to the Obama adminsitration.

I am curious what you each know about Occupy and what you know about the points Hedges makes? How have you enacted your civil liberties to speak about political issues that matter to you in public (whether oral or written or artistic)? How have you to date enacted the power of your voice or influence. Give us an example no matter how small in the comment section.

This is optional but it's essential that we begin to share with one another as a group. 75 minutes in class is not enough.

An upcoming task that each of you will be responsible for is creating your own PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORK (PLN) to develop your voice in an area that matters to you. That area may be related to your final political speech act but if you have no idea yet what area that might be, just start looking into an area that matters (i.e., fashion, literature, politics, health, finance, saving money, domestic abuse, etc.)
Here are two great resources for learning how to create a PLN. Be sure to Google the term on Wikipedia and get an overview of what a Personal Learning Network is:

SPECIAL REQUEST: I am looking for a blog facilitator or two from the course to post once a week on things related to our discussion and to coordinate this with me each week. This is perfect for someone who is not a technophobe but you do not need to KNOW IT ALL to do it. This is great for a self-starter
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"Ain't Nobody Aks You" to be Courageous: Brian Bordainick & the 9th Ward

2/1/2013

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I saw the first talk below by Brian live at the Times Center and was moved by his courage. He was only 23 when he did what he did in NOLA (New Orleans). In this five  minute speech act, he tells a great story.

The second video is longer and was earlier, a greener version of his story but with more vivid, less scripted details of his journey. I'd invite you to take 30 mins to watch this in order of the 5 min video, then the 20 min and ask yourself to notice the differences.

We might think he's a hero. And he might be. But he didn't do it alone and there are some issues about the privilege he has as a white male that we should talk about. It doesn't diminish his accomplishment. If we are going to study the political sociology of power and of courage, identity politics matter.

Comment below of what you think. At least watch the 5 min video. This is not a required assignment but is definitely worth your time inside our intentions.

I met Brian after his talk and thanked his dad for inspiring such a great citizen.

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