Punishment in society.
Record a presentation (using powerpoint) which summarises and critiques the theoretical contributions to the study of punishment of Foucault.
Presentation is based on a key thinker and thus bases itself off his main piece of writing. For instance with Foucault Discipline and Punish. For Presentation enough to have 7-9 references. More engagement with fewer sources is valid in an assessment like this, which is quite narrow in focus.
Foucault Key concepts
Foucault’s analytical framework for understanding punishment is based on three inter-related concepts:
Power – power refers to forms of domination which exist in all forms of social life.
Knowledge – is only possible through power and vice-versa.
The Body – is the site at which power and knowledge are localised.
Total observation could be achieved though the ‘Panopticon’- a prison design developed by Jeremy Bentham
Garland (1990) and Hudson (2003), whilst being generally supportive of Foucault’s work, provide some critiques :
Historical ambiguities
Overgeneralisation
Conception of punishment
Power and politics
- Include the following slides:
- i) Introduction/Context/Background
- ii) Features/main elements of approach/theory
- iii) Key strengths
- iv) Key limitations
- v) Conclusions
Punishment in society Unit ILOs
- Evaluate justifications for punishment and the challenge posed by abolitionist critiques.
- Synthesise and critique a range of theoretical perspectives which explain the nature of punishment and how punishment in societies has evolved.
- Understand different types of punishment used in contemporary society and its impact on particular groups.
- Reflect on how punishment is shaped by political economy.
- Write a well-argued, clear and accurate document.
- Present complex ideas through a presentation.
