A suggested methodology to study governmentality: Subjectivation processes and mechanisms of population regulation as central analytical concepts of an empirical approach

A suggested methodology to study governmentality: Subjectivation processes and mechanisms of population regulation as central analytical concepts of an empirical approach

Authors

  • María Alejandra Energici Académica Universidad Alberto Hurtado

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5027/psicoperspectivas-Vol15-Issue2-fulltext-604

Keywords:

governmentality, subjectivation, regulatory mechanisms, Foucault, advertising

Abstract

In 1982, Foucault defined governmentality as the interface between technologies to dominate others and technologies to conduct the self. From this definition, the purpose of this paper is to propose a methodological pathway to study a specific kind of governmentality, taking advantage of the technologies proposed by Foucault as central analytical foci: the technologies of domination of others are described as mechanisms of population regulation, and those referred to the self as processes of subjectivity. In other words, we propose to study two groups of social practices as an empirical approach to study a social arrangement in terms of governmentality. As one such instance, we introduce advertising as a potential field of study to report a particular form of governmentality. We pose that working from the foci of the proposed analytical framework, research about the current political complexity can take place while preserving the critical and genealogical method used by Foucault.

Author Biography

María Alejandra Energici, Académica Universidad Alberto Hurtado

María Alejandra Energici es académica de la Facultad de Psicología de la Universidad Alberto Hurtado. Se desempeña en el área social – comunitaria.

Es Licenciada en Psicología, Psicóloga (mención clínica) y Doctor (c) en Sociología por la Universidad Alberto Hurtado. Adicionalmente ha cursado el postítulo “Psicoterapia fundamentada  en el construccionismo social”, programa reconocido por la Comisión Nacional de Acreditación de Psicólogos Clínicos.

Published

2016-07-01

How to Cite

Energici, M. A. (2016). A suggested methodology to study governmentality: Subjectivation processes and mechanisms of population regulation as central analytical concepts of an empirical approach. Psicoperspectivas, 15(2), 29-39. https://doi.org/10.5027/psicoperspectivas-Vol15-Issue2-fulltext-604
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