Foucault, Consumerism, and Identity - 2310 Words

Foucault, Consumerism, and Identity Michel Foucault presents those revolutionary sorts of analyses that are rich not only for their content but for their implications and novel methodological approach. Just beyond the surface of his works lies such philosophical wealth that one can be overwhelmed by considerations of which vein to mine first, and what to make of the elements therefrom extracted. I’ve broken earth in several attractive sites this last week. Some, it seemed, hid their treasures too deep for the scope of this excavation. Some presented me with granite barriers which I do not yet have the tools to penetrate. At other sites, the earth gave way easily and I made great progress, only to be†¦show more content†¦Since the average person could not take themselves as an object, they had to rely on that Other who does have himself as object (the sovereign) to tell them who they are, and what their relationship is to him, since he is capable of knowing both at once, and thus of comparing. The Classi cal age saw an increased interest by the ruling classes, and the emerging intellectual class,2[2] in the affairs of the productive classes. The realisation of the significance of microphysical power is parallelled by the establishment of the subject as the final authority on belief (Luther), the foundation of knowledge (Descartes), and the establisher of rights (Locke). These ideas gave power to masses who had hitherto seen themselves as having none (hardly having â€Å"seen themselves† at all), and fuelled the Age of Revolutions. The Classical discovery of the individual led, by the Romantic period, to its exaltation. The belief in individual power and rights created a demand not only for access to the privileges previously enjoyed only by the elite (such as say in the direction of society), but also for comparable narrative distinctiveness. As the romantics idealised the life of peasants, and socialists proclaimed the rights of workers, common folk began to see their images in culture. Individual enshrinement remained theShow MoreRelatedIs There a Relationship Between Consumption and Identity?1598 Words   |  7 PagesIn traditional societies, peoples identity was rooted in a set of social roles and values, which provided orientation and religious sanctions to define ones place in the world. In modernity, identity is often characterised in terms of mutual recognition, as if ones identity depended on recognition from others combined with self- validation of this recognition. Identity still comes from a pre set of roles and norms. For example, a motherRead MoreThe Consumer Society Essay3590 Words   |  15 Pagesculture of consumerism poses a profound threat to the freedom and individuality of the consumer. In response to this claim, the essay will argue that Marcuse has been right in arguing the advertising and consumerisms aims to manipulate the consumer’s consciousness. Furthermore by taking an existentialist approach it will argue that society ultimately chooses their own path and consents to their own destiny. It also takes into consideration that in the contemporary society consumerism is omnipresent;Read MoreImportant Changes in the Political, Social and Economic Life in the UK1314 Words   |  6 PagesImportant Changes in the Political, Social and Economic Life in the UK There have been significant changes in political social and economic life in the UK over the last 50 years with particular reference to identity and the resulting ordering of our lives in terms of family, work and welfare together with the resulting impact on our health. Within the themes of structure and agency, uncertainty and diversity together with knowledge and knowing, this essay explores the Read MoreHistory of Sexuality3607 Words   |  15 PagesMichel Foucault From 1989 to 1999, the time period of the Clinton Administration, a homosexual force entered the American consciousness. 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Essay example5045 Words   |  21 Pagesprojects to ‘reflexive’ biographies (2002: 2). According to this, individuals are becoming more and more ‘obsessed’ with reconsiderations of their own identity, not only because acceptance of new identities in societies has increased but also because identities or roles can be altered whenever this is felt to be convenient, since ‘shaping [identities] is easier than keeping them in shape’ (Bauman, 2000: 8). Secondly, lifelong projects also are turning into ‘do-it-yourself’ biographies (Beck and Beck-GernsheimRead MoreJudith Butler in Media Studies3516 Words   |  15 Pageshopes of grasping why Butler is so widely read in the communications field. Butler’s most famous published work, Gender Trouble, deals with themes of the semiotics of the human body in juxtaposition to the â€Å"performative subversions† of gender identity (Butler, â€Å"Gender† 372). There is a pervading discussion of internal versus external signifiers of the body. 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Inclusion of controversial male and female magazine this essay will look at who are these publications reflectingRead MoreRepresentation of Different Masculinities2539 Words   |  11 Pagesto this, the fragility of man and narratives surrounding masculine supremacy are present throughout, and undermine any notions of critical morality. One of the key issues which Giroux raises is that Fight Club tries to suggest that consumerism has destabilized masculinity in effect masculinity has been emasculated. â€Å"Ostensibly, Fight Club Appears to be a critique of late capitalist society†¦But Fight Club is less interested in attacking the broader material relations