Foucault's theory of power??

Sigh. Foucault really does take a lot of work, but it's not that bad. The notes above aren't bad, and Foucault is not my strong suit but I will point you to two things to help.

First, is the Panopticon. Stay with me, it's tricky, and I'll try to summarize usefully. The panopticon was a new form of prison that was designed with enlightened principles in mind. It was designed as a big circle, with cells on the outside, and the guard in the middle, with a total view of the cells and the prisoners inside. Foucault focuses on the prison for several reasons. The first is that it helps develop the power of the state, and the manner in which it exercises that power. The state set up the prison such that it had total domination over the prisoners, both physically, as in the bars, but also in terms of the "psychological" aspects of being able to see the prisoners, but they can't see you. This is part of foucault's discussion on the power of "the gaze," which can be difficult to understand what he was getting at. Essentially though, the guards had the power of the gaze, and the prisoners didn't, but Foucault develops gaze theory better elsewhere. If you Google "Foucault Panopticon" you'll find lots of stuff, and hopefully what I wrote can help you make sense of it.

Second, is to understand "rhetoric." Rhetoric is speech that is priviliged with power, or it's evident that power is coming into play. The state issues rhetoric anytime they give you a document telling you what to do. The tax codes are rhetoric. In the Birth of the Clinic, Foucault demonstrates that doctors and hospitals use rhetoric to control patients. Foucault's whole point was that rhetoric seems reasonable because the speaker is in power, not necessarily because the speaker is rational, to be trusted, etc. Dubya issues such rhetoric all the time, but few people trust it anymore, a great example of the rhetoric/rationality disjunction.

So Google "Foucault Rhetoric" and see what pops up too.

If all else fails, try and develop the idea that Foucault fleshed out power as a spoken, subtle thing in addition to/as opposed to just a physical, brute thing, a psychology of power if you will.

Good luck.

First mistake - Foucault does not have a theory on power, but rather ideas about power. Foucault believes power is constantly circulating in society. So power belongs to no-one, and is not simply top-down. Power is often thought of as something negative, but for Foucault is positive because it produces. For example, it produces particular behaviours that are desirable. This is where the panopticon comes in. The panopticon was an architectual design by Jeremy Bentham for a prison. For Foucault, the panopticon was a metaphor for the modern institution. They surveill, they individualise, and they discipline.

I suggest getting hold of some introduction to sociology textbooks. There is plenty of easy to read stuff out there on Foucault.

There's no easy way around this, you've really got to do the work. Foucault's stuff gets very complicated and college/uni tutors tend to expect top stuff from you on this. I studied Foucault on several modules whilst at uni and would always avoid Foucault related essay topics like the plague. You are brave, good luck! Sorry I can't be of any help but I don't think you'll get any solid info on here.

Foucauldian Theory

I can understand your confusion. Foucault is just one of a suite of French pseudo-intellectuals that still dog philosophy. The theory he developed is seriously flawed, basically, because he does not understand the difference between power and control. A difference that is subtle, but real. You can google up the outline, but defining it is going to be a problem. Your tutor sounds like a post-modernist twit, so I hope you can struggle through your class and then move on to serious philosophy. Foucault is a relativist and a nihilist and no amount of rationalization is going to change that. You have my sympathy, but no rational person can help you out of this dilemma.

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Foucault's theory of power??

I am writing an essay on this and am totally confused. Can ANYBODY please outline what this theory is and how it was developed?? Please before i pull out my hair!!