Forms Of Power Foucault Analysis

(I found this text to end up being somewhat confusing near the end- I hope that I am on the ball here). Foucault , within this text is attempting to demonstrate that forms of power do not stand alone, it is found within every actor, and institution in the society. Forms of power are interwoven within the discourse,and certain actors within the social act as power-relations suchas: doctors, psychiatrists, law-makers are the ones that alter what individuals see as pathological or normal. Sexuality, as described by Foucault has always been highly controlled by exterior sources and some examples he gives are that of children sexuality, womens hysteria, psychiatrization of perverse sexual behaviour, & a socialization of procreative behaviour.

Foucault gives examples of how sodomy at one point was seen as a horrendous sin and those participating deserving of death; now we see homosexuals regains their stance of power within the social and removing the pathological role placed upon them. Although, Foucault argues that constraints are forms of truths placed by certain power-relations within the sphere, and that certain actors have the ability to control the ideas that are based around what is considered appropriate sexual conduct and what is perversive. He ends his text by theorizing that in the absolute end, sexuality is controlled and manufactured within the family. Marriage creates an alliance, which in turn keeps the individuals in this type of contract sexually in check thus controlling the temptations of the flesh, and this works as a technology of power.

With Christianity comes to hermeunics of the self "thy shall know thyself". However, there are two forms of confessions that Foucault focuses on which are: exomologesis and exagoreusis. Exomologesis is a type of confession that is more rarely seen in the Western worlds, here exomologesis is not to be an inward form of enlightenment, it is made to be visible to the public. It is symbolic for a form of physical death and self-destruction, comparable to the martyr. To be relieved from ones sins, one must be in a way shamed in the public view, such as having a disheavled appearance, dirty face, weeping in public and to the other end of the spectrum being whipped in public. To this end ones physical self dies and is then reborn. With exagoreusis, confession is to be done differently. It becomes more of an individualistic act that must be thought about and verbalized. However, here the idea is that ones mere thoughts signals sin. If one has negative thoughts that surface to the conscious than one must confess. Moreover, the thoughts that surface, can in and of themselves be of falsehoods and illusions that have no merit based in truths. To know that ones subjective thoughts are truths ones must verbalize to the omni-present, holy father. One must submit and obey to Gods will, and when one verbalizes then there