Overview
This lecture introduces Michel Foucault's The History of Sexuality, Volume One, focusing on his critique of the "repressive hypothesis" and his alternative model of power and sexuality.
The Repressive Hypothesis
- The repressive hypothesis claims society has suppressed sexuality, especially since the rise of the bourgeoisie and capitalist values.
- According to this view, sex was condemned as non-productive and confined to reproduction, especially in the Victorian era (19th century Europe).
- The hypothesis suggests liberation is achieved by talking openly and enjoying sex more.
Foucault’s Critique of the Repressive Hypothesis
- Foucault argues the repressive hypothesis is flawed; sex is not simply suppressed.
- He claims repression has led to increased scrutiny and discourse about sexuality, not simple silence or secrecy.
- The supposed repression actually fueled society’s obsession with sexuality, confession, and examination.
Freud vs. Foucault on Sexuality
- Freud believed society represses sexual desires, causing neuroses that can be resolved by making unconscious desires conscious.
- Foucault responds that society’s secrecy about sex produces curiosity and confession, not just repression.
Repressive Power vs. Normalizing Power
- Repressive power: restricts or prohibits actions (e.g., laws, authority figures).
- Normalizing power: shapes desires and expectations, producing norms (e.g., valuing heterosexual marriage and reproduction).
- Victorian sexuality didn't just repress but produced norms and identities through normalization.
Discourse and the Construction of Sexuality
- Foucault defines discourse as systems of thought and communication constructing our experience of the world.
- In the 18th and 19th centuries, sexuality became a scientific, psychological, and legal discourse that created identities (e.g., "homosexual").
- Acts once seen as sins became the basis for fixed identities tied to sexuality.
- Foucault emphasizes the historical and social construction of sexuality as opposed to seeing it as natural or innate.
Historical and Theoretical Implications
- Foucault’s project reveals sexuality as mobile, fluid, and subject to change, not fixed or natural.
- This approach influenced the development of queer theory, which challenges the idea of natural or essential sexuality.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Repressive Hypothesis — the idea that society has suppressed sexuality, making liberation possible by openness.
- Repressive Power — power that limits or forbids actions.
- Normalizing Power — power that shapes individuals to conform to certain norms without direct force.
- Discourse — systems of knowledge and communication constructing our understanding of topics (like sexuality).
- Sexuality — a historically constructed discourse, not merely a natural given.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review Foucault’s The History of Sexuality, Volume One, focusing on chapters about the repressive hypothesis.
- Reflect on examples of normalizing vs. repressive power in contemporary society.
- Prepare for discussion on social construction of sexuality and its relevance to queer theory.