Feminism, Foucault, and Embodied Subjectivity

Margaret A. Mclaren

Description

Addressing central questions in the debate about Foucault's usefulness for politics, including his rejection of universal norms, his conception of power and power-knowledge, his seemingly contradictory position on subjectivity and his resistance to using identity as a political category, McLaren argues that Foucault employs a conception of embodied subjectivity that is well-suited for feminism. She applies Foucault's notion of practices of the self to contemporary feminist practices, such as consciousness-raising and autobiography, and concludes that the connection between self-transformation and social transformation that Foucault theorizes as the connection between subjectivity and institutional and social norms is crucial for contemporary feminist theory and politics.
Acknowledgments

1. The Feminism and Foucault Debate: Stakes, Issues, Positions

2. Foucault, Feminism, and Norms

Postmodernism and Politics
Feminist Critics
Genealogy As Critique
Problems With Power
Foucault's Skepticism
Conclusion: Foucault and Feminist Resistance

3. Foucault and the Subject of Feminism

Feminist Critics
Foucault's Challenge to Subjectivity
Foucault's Refusal
Foucault's Genealogy of the Subject
Aesthetics of Existence: Life as a Work of Art
The Relational Feminist Subject
Conclusion

4. Foucault and the Body: A Feminist Reappraisal

Foucault's Body
Feminist Extenders: Disciplinary Practices and the Feminine Body
A Foucauldian Feminist Criticism of Foucault's Body
Feminist Resistance to the Deployment of Sexuality
Conclusion

5. Identity Politics: Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

Identity Politics
Foucault on Identity
Postmodern Criticisms of Identity Politics
Herculine Barbin and the Sexed Body
Bisexuality: Identity and Politics
Conclusion

6. Practices of the Self: From Self-transformation to Social Transformation

Foucault's Technologies of the Self
Self-Writing
Parrhesia (Truth telling)
Consciousness-Raising
Conclusion

Conclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Sujets

• Philosophie
• Philosophie politique
• English articles
• The

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791487938
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

FEMINISM, FOUCAULT, AND EMBODIED SUBJECTIVITY

SUNY series in Contemporary Continental Philosophy Dennis J. Schmidt, editor

FEMINISM, FOUCAULT, AND EMBODIED SUBJECTIVITY

Margaret A. McLaren

State University of New York Press

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2002 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

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For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207

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Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

McLaren, Margaret A., 1960– Feminism, Foucault, and embodied subjectivity / Margaret A. McLaren. p. cm.—(SUNY series in contemporary continental philosophy) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-5513-0 (alk. paper)—ISBN 0-7914-5514-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Foucault, Michel. 2. Feminist theory. 3. Subjectivity. I. Title. II. Series.

HQ1190 .M387 305.42—dc21

2002

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2002021087

Acknowledgments

CONTENTS

Chapter 1. The Feminism and Foucault Debate: Stakes, Issues, Positions

Chapter 2. Foucault, Feminism, and Norms Postmodernism and Politics Feminist Critics Genealogy As Critique Problems With Power Foucault’s Skepticism Conclusion: Foucault and Feminist Resistance

Chapter 3. Foucault and the Subject of Feminism Feminist Critics Foucault’s Challenge to Subjectivity Foucault’s Refusal Foucault’s Genealogy of the Subject Aesthetics of Existence: Life as a Work of Art The Relational Feminist Subject Conclusion

Chapter 4. Foucault and the Body: A Feminist Reappraisal Foucault’s Body Feminist Extenders: Disciplinary Practices and the Feminine Body A Foucauldian Feminist Criticism of Foucault’s Body

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19 20 23 30 36 41 48

53 54 56 60 64 68 74 79

81 83 91 99

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CONTENTS

Feminist Resistance to the Deployment of Sexuality Conclusion

Chapter 5. Identity Politics: Sex, Gender, and Sexuality Identity Politics Foucault on Identity Postmodern Criticisms of Identity Politics Herculine Barbin and the Sexed Body Bisexuality: Identity and Politics Conclusion

Chapter 6. Practices of the Self: From Selftransformation to Social Transformation Foucault’s Technologies of the Self Self-Writing Parrhesia(Truth telling) Consciousness-Raising Conclusion

Conclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Index

110 114

117 118 122 124 127 135 142

145 146 148 152 155 162

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175

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This project has been informed, sustained and supported by a number of individ- uals, institutions and communities, and I am happy to have a chance to acknowl- edge some of them here. Amy Allen, Allison Leigh Brown and Kathryn Norsworthy read drafts of the entire manuscript. I appreciate the time and energy they spent reading my work and their criticisms and comments undoubtedly im- proved the final product. Sandra Lee Bartky, Ladelle McWhorter, Jana Sawicki, and Ed Royce read drafts of some of the chapters and provided much needed feedback, criticism and support. I also wish to thank Jane Bunker at State Univer- sity of New York Press for her early interest in and support of this project, and Ju- dith Block for her role in completing the process. Thanks also to Dennis Schmidt for includingFeminism, Foucault and Embodied Subjectivityin his series on Con- temporary Continental Philosophy. Much of the research for this book was done in the Foucault archives in Paris during the summers of 1997, 1998, and 2000. This research was supported by Jack B. Critchfield faculty research grants awarded by Rollins College. Research for chapter six, also supported by a Critchfield grant, was done in Northwestern Uni- versity’s special collection on women, “Femina.” I acknowledge with thanks the cu- rator of Special Collections at Northwestern University Library, R. Russell Maylone, for allowing me access to the Femina collection. My research in Paris de- pended on the expertise and generosity of a number of individuals. I am very grate- ful to Madame Isabelle Seruzier, Bibliothécaire, and Father Michel Albaric, op., Directeur, of the Bibliothèque du Saulchoir for allowing me access to the Foucault archives under special circumstances in the summer of 1997. The Foucault archives have since moved to the Institut Mémoires de l’Édition Contemporaine, and I thank Madame Martine Ollion and the staff of the institute for their friendly and professional help. I also want to thank the French journalist, Frederic Joignot, for

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

sharing stories of his personal acquaintance with Foucault through their work on the journalLibérationand their involvement in political activism. I had the opportunity to present several chapters of the book, in earlier and shorter versions, as conference papers. An earlier and shorter draft of chapter two was presented at the “History, Technology and Identity: After Foucault” conference. An earlier version of chapter four was presented at the Pacific APA, and I wish to thank my respondent, Eduardo Mendieta, for his comments and feedback on my paper. Parts of chapter five were presented at the Eastern Society for Women in Philosophy, the Pacific APA, the Central APA, SOFPHIA, the Philosophy, Inter- pretation and Culture conference, and the Truth, Translation and Interpretation conference in Perugia, Italy, and I thank the participants of those conferences for their comments and questions. I had the opportunity to present a much earlier ver- sion of chapter three at the Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy, the Central APA, the Midwest Society for Women in Philosophy, the Eastern So- ciety for Women in Philosophy, and the Mid-south Philosophy conference. I appre- ciate the encouragement and suggestions on this paper provided by: Ellen Armour, Sandra Lee Bartky, Harland Bloland, Susan Bordo, Ellen Feder, Marilyn Frye, Tam- sin Lorraine, Ladelle McWhorter and Jana Sawicki. Chapter three is in part based on my article, “Foucault and the Subject of Feminism” inSocial Theory and Practice 23, no. 1 (Spring 1997) and I would like to thank the editors ofSocial Theory and Practicefor allowing me to reprint some of this material here. During the initial stages of this project I participated in a summer seminar on Foucault led by Thomas Flynn at the National Humanities Center (supported by a Jessie Ball du Pont grant). I learned a great deal, and I deeply appreciate Tom Flynn’s encouragement and in- tellectual generosity. I also wish to thank the other seminar participants for the in- tellectual camaraderie and helpful discussions. I have been fortunate over the years to belong to a number of feminist com- munities, both academic and non-academic. The Midwest Society for Women in Philosophy provided intellectual stimulation and support during my years as a grad- uate student at Northwestern University from the mid-1980s until the early 1990s. More recently, the community of SOFPHIA (Socialist Feminist Philosophers in Action) feeds my intellectual appetite and supports my political inclinations; it is a privilege to be a part of a group of philosophers who recognize the connection be- tween theory and practice and are committed to social justice. I owe a huge debt to my feminist foremothers for the inspiration of their work and for their encourage- ment and support. Sandra Bartky, Nancy Fraser, Ann Ferguson, Marilyn Frye, Ali- son Jaggar, Maria Lugones, Sarah Hoagland, Marilyn Friedman, Claudia Card, Susan Bordo, Linda Alcoff, Jana Sawicki, Jane Mansbridge, Ladelle McWhorter, Diana Meyers, Iris Young and Linda Singer have all influenced and encouraged me

Acknowledgments

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in significant ways. I especially want to thank Sandra Bartky; her encouragement, support and friendship over the years have meant more to me than I can say. I gratefully acknowledge the support of the administration of Rollins Col- lege and my departmental colleagues who allowed me to extend my sabbatical to complete this project. I have had the opportunity to present some of the ideas in this book at our departmental discussion group, and I thank my colleagues, Tom Cook, Hoyt Edge, Scott Rubarth, Yudit Greenberg, Clarence Hardy, Arnold Wettstein, and Karl Peters for their willingness to engage in conversation. Our de- partmental administrative assistant, Doris Lynn, expertly prepared the bibliography for me. I am grateful for her willingness to do so and for her unfailing good humor. Thanks also to Ann Steinecke for her expert preparation of the index. IthankmyfriendTanjaSoftic´forgenerouslyallowingherartworktobere- produced for the cover of this book. Kathryn Norsworthy, Chuck Weise, Susan Alterman, Stephen Kellert and Annette Fair reminded me to laugh and offered crucial emotional and moral support during the writing process. Marlene, Nutmeg and Mustafa provided unconditional love and constant companionship. Finally, I am enormously grateful to my partner, Chuck Weise, for his continual faith in my ability to complete this project and for his understanding, patience and support while I did so. I dedicate this book to Julie Rolston (1960–1996) for the gift of her friend- ship and the inspiration of her life.