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The Foucauldian Body and the Exclusion of Experience

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 March 2020

Lois Mcnay
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Abstract

This paper considers the advantages of incorporating Foucault's anti-essentialist theory of the body into feminist explanations of women's oppression. There are also problems in that Foucault neglects to examine the gendered character of the body and reproduces a sexism endemic in “gender neutral” social theory. The Foucauldian body is essentially passive resulting in a limited account of identity and agency. This conflicts with an aim of feminism: to rediscover and revalue the experiences of women.

Type
Research Article
Information
Hypatia , Volume 6 , Issue 3: Special Issue: Feminism and the Body , Fall 1991 , pp. 125 - 139
Copyright
Copyright © 1991 by Hypatia, Inc.

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