Relationship Between Sex And Power - 955 Words

Introduction Michel Foucault was a French philosopher, historian, social theorist, philologist and literary critic whose work had a tremendous impact on several disciplines. He was not a sociologist by training, but he worked diligently on sociological issues and otherwise had significant influence on the work of other sociologists. One of his most famous works is the The History of Sexuality, in which he examines the emergence of sexuality as a discursive object and separate sphere of life. According to Foucault, the idea that everyone has a sexuality is relatively a recent development in the West. In Volume 1, Foucault discusses the relationship between sex and power in a historical context. He states that the ways in which humans think about sexuality is primarily shaped by the repressive hypothesis, which claims that Western society had suppressed sexuality from the 17th to the mid-20th century, and this was due to the rise of capitalism and the bourgeois society. There are several ke y concepts in this book that will be discussed in this paper include repressive hypothesis, sexuality, power, and discourse. This paper will seek to show the ways in which sexuality is a discursive object, and how sexuality was linked to power throughout history. Foucault describes the repressive hypothesis as one that supposes that any increase of energy on purely pleasurable activities, such as sex, has been frowned upon since the rise of the bourgeoisie. Due to this, sexShow MoreRelatedThe Body Politic : The Removal Of Agency And The Struggle For Power1352 Words   |  6 PagesThe Body Politic: The Removal of Agency and the Struggle for Power The demand for sexual services is a universal constant in human society—from the sexual slavery of the Indo-Asian colonial period, to contemporary Canada, the relation between sex and power is an undisputed fact. Prostitutes and concubines are and were people who struggled with power historically due to their positions in society and their occupations; they have struggled for political access, for their own safety, and for theirRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legal1659 Words   |  7 Pages Same-sex couples can hardly remember a time where they were not fighting for their right to marriage in the United States. After several court cases, California Proposition Six, and their struggle against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), same-sex couples found their way into U.S. society. Many misguided studies appealed to those opposing same-sex marriage, but after several years of integrating in society, same-sex couples found the support they were looking for. Before the S upreme CourtRead MoreThe Court Hierarchy Of Australia1305 Words   |  6 Pagessystem). 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When we think about it, then why have we not heard about IPV in same-sex and even in heterosexual relationships and why isn’t it reported.Read MorePower Relations : An Overview Essay1562 Words   |  7 PagesPower Relations: An Overview Michel Foucault analyzed the relationship between types of power and its relation to creating a subject—a person. He gives an analysis with mention of the modern state and pastoral power. The modern state exerts its influence on society causing subjection of individuals based on the preferences of a certain group of people within society (ed. Rabinow and Rose 2003). In relation to sex education, we can attribute this subjectivity to macro-level factors such as legislatureRead MoreSexual Boycotts, Documented During The Greek Empire And The Peloponnesian War1070 Words   |  5 PagesSex boycotts, documented during the Greek empire and the Peloponnesian war between Athens and Sparta, have been a traditional interesting non-violent method to resolve conflicts. 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