Foucault Objectification Definition

One of the continuing motifs that Foucault develops consistently is the idea that power is an action that imprints, and ultimately has the ability to alter perception through persuasion and authority—the idea of subjugation. The idea of subjugation is that while this is a natural construct in accordance with human behavior, it has now been taken over by what is termed as subjugators, or more specifically, institutions of higher authority. The problem with this is how the subjugators have taken exercised power to individualize and totalize bodies. However, despite the seemingly negative presentation of power, there is an absolutely vital change in how Foucault articulates power, and this is a definitive concept in Foucault’s articulation
Essentially, the body undergoes the process of individualization by molding it on an individual (micro) level, to whatever status quo or normative value the subjugators operate on. At the same time, the idea of totalization revolves around taking this process of molding the body and enforcing it en masse throughout society (macro). The examples Foucault use to demonstrate this is the idea of objectification, whether it be through science as a means of conforming people as a statistic or objectifying someone as a sexual
This goes back to Foucault’s very deliberate statement in which he separates institutional exercise of power from the institution. Interestingly, Foucault focuses on how this improper use stems from Christian traditions and the idea of “pastoral power”, in which the Church exercised the authority to command and manipulate truth to its followers. Foucault claims that this pastoral power has been modified and adopted by Western governments by dictating what the truth is through laws and essentially, governmental overreach. These claims are defining statements for Foucault’s work in this