Critically assess Michel Foucault's contribution to the Essay

Critically assess Michel Foucault's contribution to the structure-agency debate - Essay Example Most sociologists, from Durkheim to Talcott Parsons and Radcliffe Brown focus on the standard structures of societies for explaining behaviour patterns. The wider acceptance of the social-structural explanations of identity is attributed to the fact that unlike an individual’s characteristics, social structure is represented by an elaborate conceptual framework (Cote & Levine, 2002: 46). However, it will be seen that sociologists such as Cooley, Blumer, Goffman and Garfinkel emphasise the significance of agency, the symbolic nature of human interaction and the ways in which humans negotiate roles and meanings on an on-going basis. According to Foucault, modern society is highly differentiated and fragmented. Power is not a commodity which can be acquired, nor is it the property of an individual or class, it is rather a structural phenomenon, an extensive network which is all-encompassing. Foucault’s view of modernity is that there exist many centres of power, and connections between various areas of power. This approach is in contrast to the Marxist emphasis and focus on the class struggle and the state, as the centres of power. Further, the mode of production, the work and the industrial sphere that Marx identified as central to power, is different from the Foucaultian view of power as existing in several different social settings and locations (Layder, 2006: 125, 126). The intellectual movement of the eighteenth century, termed as the Enlightenment developed the concept of â€Å"modernity† along with a range of disciplines which constitute the social sciences, forming the modern conception of knowledge (Billington, 1998: 6). Dawe (1970: 208) states that to solve the problem of social order the Hobbesian approach to human nature, which is: â€Å"in the absence of external constraint, the pursuit of private interests and desires leads invevitably to both social and individual disintegration† was taken into

Critical research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Critical research paper - Essay Example Creon judgment that Polyneices body was not to receive a proper burial brought out different characters of Antigone and Isemene. Polyneices body would be left unburied and be consumed by birds or animals (Heaney 2). Antigone and Isemene are different in their conduct as exposed in their character. Wolf (6) highlights that; Antigone has strong convictions and chooses to follow them. In contrast, Isemene is complacent and reluctant to act upon her convictions. Antigone believes that their brother should receive a proper burial by performing apposite burial rites. Although Polyneices was the aggressor in Thebes struggle, Antigone considers that he should be buried since he was a member of the family. Antigone’s actions are visualized as a reflection of her will because she defies the king. Greek women did not enjoy freedom as the men did. This is why Creon’s determination to defeat Antigone is motivated because she is a woman. There were societal structures accompanied by rules that defined the place of woman in Greek. Men were placed higher in hierarchy than women. Antigone perspective repels the stipulated gender roles because she is rebellious. Antigone breaks the rules of Greek culture by refusing to be passive. Isemene chooses to be compliant with the rules of Greek culture to avoid displeasing her customs. Isemene’s perspective on men is that they are superior to women and women should be submissive. Cultural viewpoint on men as superior to women makes Isemene believe that men should be obeyed. Isemene realizes the short falls of the Greek’s perspective on women as problematic. Creon sees his mistake and cannot apologize to a woman, because he would go against his cultural practice. The outstanding behavior of Antigone as a woman is that she defies the kings decree, yet she is a woman. Even though disobedience punishment is death, Antigone chooses to disobey Creon who is also a member of her family