Foucault Theory Of Biopower

In the following sections our choice of theories are presented and their relevance to the project, are discussed. The theories tend to provide us a guideline, which helps in relation to organize, select, and analyse our data. We have decided to use political, economical theories as well as a sociological theory, for the reason we aiming to obtain a broader image of the topic, not only one segment.
Foucault
Foucault theory of power is aiming to challenge the “mainstream”, Western concepts of the world and stimulate people to have a new way of comprehension about the notion of power and power relation. (Taylor, 2004) It advices an empirical analyses of power, with an analytical understanding rather than theoretical, where the perception of

It is a modern form of power, which emerged in the end of the eighteenth century after sovereign and disciplinary power. (Foucault, 2007) ” Biopower is able to access the body because it functions through norms rather than laws, because it is internalized by subjects rather than exercised from above through acts or threats of violence, and because it is dispersed throughout society rather than located in a single individual or government body”( Taylor,2009)
There are two levels of biopower, the regulatory power (biopolitics), and the disciplinary power (anatomopolitics). The target of regulatory power is the population, or bigger social groups, the aim is to collect knowledge about the power and control over the population, and the institution is the state. Despite this, in the case of disciplinary power, the focus is on individuals or bodies, the aim is to analyse knowledge to see how power is subjugated bodies, and the institutes are smaller than the state (schools, prisons). Both of the aspect are important, thus human lives can be managed both micro- and macro-bases (Taylor,

According to his theory, the power is constituted through accepted forms of knowledge, truth, and scientific understanding. In our project we use this theory to demonstrate the power relations between the government and the sex workers, and see how the power of the government effect the lives of the women that are working in the sex industry, and vica versa. Foucault stated that power can be productive and necessary, and a positive force in the society. In regards to this statement, we will aim to see in our project if the legalization of prostitution had a positive effect on society, or the