Michel Foucault

Foucault, Michel (1926-1984), French philosopher, who attempted to show that the basic ideas which people normally take to be permanent truths about human nature and society change in the course of history. His studies challenged the influence of German political philosopher Karl Marx and Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Foucault offered new concepts that challenged people's assumptions about prisons, the police, insurance, care of the mentally ill, gay rights, and welfare. He sees himself as a …showed first 75 words of 763 total…

…showed last 75 words of 763 total…can be possessed by certain people and not by others. Instead, Foucault points out that power is something which can be practiced by people in specific situations, which will produce other reactions and resistances, and isn't tied to specific groups or identities. This fits in well with developments in theories such as feminism, where it has been noted that 'women' are not one unified group. This should remind you of Butler's theories of "Gender Trouble".