Foucault - Discipline and Punish

Selection from text:

"But the punishment-body relation is not the same as it was in the torture during public executions. The body now serves as an instrument or intermediary: if one intervenes upon it to imprison it, or to make it work, it is in order to deprive the individual of a liberty that is regarded both as a right and as property. The body, according to this penality, is caught up in a system of constraints and privations, obligations and prohibitions. Physical pain, the pain of the body itself, is no longer the constituent element of the penalty. From being an art of unbearable sensations punishment has become an economy of suspended rights" (Foucault, 1978: 11).

My Response:
I wrote my midterm essay about rowing. I have been rowing at the UW throughout college, but wanted to learn how to row a single, which is a small, one-person boat. It is a completely different activity, although they may seem similar. I found this experience to be very challenging and fun. It was a good opportunity to do something I have always wanted to do while writing a paper for school. I posted these two pictures from the 2007 NCAA Championships, where my boat placed 6th in the nation. For me, these races were the culmination of four years of hard work, passion, dedication and fun. My body was put to the ultimate test. Rowing is different than other sports, because your body has so many roles. Every single part of my body had to be tuned in, including my mind. I realize that Foucault does not address rowing at any point in his work, but I think this quote summarizes so many things. Rowing really hurts, and I often wonder why I put myself throught this pain. This is a question I addressed in my midterm essay. Maybe as human beings we do crave pain; we seem to spend a great amount of time and energy thinking about it and invoking it...


2004 Olympics - USA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gcthtn3BBN0

This video clip, courtesy of YouTube, shows the most elite rowers in the world. Each of these countries is competing for a gold medal, and the athletes have invested their lives training for this moment. I will not spoil the outcome of the race, so watch it!

Discipline and Punish - YouTube Clip




Sources:
Foucault, Michel. 1995. Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison. Alan Sheridan, trans. New York: Vintage.
http://www.row2k.com/ (Accessed July, 2007)
http://www.youtube.com/ (Accessed August 2007)