Sikta RoyKnowledge Contributor
How does Michel Foucault's concept of "biopower" relate to modern forms of governance?
How does Michel Foucault's concept of "biopower" relate to modern forms of governance?
Michel Foucault’s concept of “biopower” refers to the ways in which modern states regulate their citizens through an array of institutions, practices, and discourses that manage and control life itself. Biopower operates at the level of populations, focusing on issues such as health, hygiene, birth rates, and life expectancy. It represents a shift from sovereign power, which exerted control through the threat of death, to a form of power that seeks to optimize and manage life. This concept highlights how modern governance involves the regulation of bodies and the control of social practices to maintain order and enhance the productivity of the population.