Summary of Discipline and Punish The Birth of Prison Essay Example

Summary of Discipline and Punish: The Birth of Prison Paper Foucault himself worked in hospitals—or rather, on mental asylums—and has had first-hand experiences on the realities of life which could make them come into the arms of madness. In fact, he has written on such subject matter (Madness and Unreason: History of Madness in the Classical Age published in 1961) and his other various experiences have also been influenced by the things around him and his experiences: Foucault’s work can be traced to events in his present day. The Order of Things would have been inspired by the rise of structuralism in the 1960s, for example, and the prison uprisings in the early 1970s would have inspired Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison (1975). (European Graduate School EGS, 2008) Many authors and other famous philosophers and writers were mainly inspired by what they saw in their lifetime or even some other author which they have read. In Foucault’s case, it was all three, as he was inspired by Nietzsche and the â€Å"uprisings† in his time. The book is a fusion of what can be called a history book and that of a book which contains opinions of a person, for that is exactly what the book brings—facts and fiction as Foucault gives factual evidences of what were supposedly recorded scenarios of prison life, while at the same time voicing out his convictions and opinions on the subject at hand: Punishment of a less immediately physical kind, a certain discretion in the art of inflicting pain, a combination of more subtle, more subdued sufferings, deprived of their visible display, should not all this be treated as a special case, an incidental effect of deeper changes? We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Discipline and Punish: The Birth of Prison specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Discipline and Punish: The Birth of Prison specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Discipline and Punish: The Birth of Prison specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer And yet the fact remains that a few decades saw the disappearance of the tortured, dismembered, amputated body, symbolically branded on face or shoulder, exposed alive or dead to public view. The body as the major target of penal repression disappeared. (Foucault, 1977, pp. 7-8) As what the introduction of this paper states, Michel Foucault mainly focuses on the history and development of the prison system or penal system of the western world. This includes the more horrifying acts of execution and punishment of the penal system and the more subtle forms of imprisonment later on (Foucault, 1977). It can be even concluded that the entire book may be a case study of some sort of how the penal system was born and changed and what led to these changes. Of course, these changes contributed to the modern technology which later developed, but more specifically, the changes can be attributed more to the fact that the world is changing, and times back then called for more orderly, effective, and systematic forms of punishment. Although the book contains many themes with regard to its context, there are still some which are more apparent than the others and needs to be focused on. The following section of this paper will focus on the four themes of the Michel Foucaults Discipline and Punish: The Birth of Prison. The Four Themes of Discipline and Punish As with all literary works and pieces, themes are important as they say what the whole masterpiece is driving at what is its point. More than what it is all about, the theme is a universal truth in which the work is supposed to portray, and this work by Michel Foucault naturally contains such themes. The Display of Authority One of the most prominent themes of the book is the blatant display of power and authority of the penal system and the implementers—or, in the case of 18th century, it was the executioners. They can be even regarded as ruthless as they showed no mercy to the criminal. A criminal deserved to be punished and the punishment must be executed no matter how immoral it may be—both for the criminal and member of the public who were watching (Foucault, 1977).

Crazy Horse and Custer essays

Crazy Horse and Custer essays Stephen Ambrose, in his dual biography entitled Crazy Horse and Custer: The Parallel Lives of Two American Warriors, recounts a vision of young Crazy Horse in which he was given advice by a mysterious warrior that, if followed, would give him a powerful medicine of invulnerability against arrow and bullet alike (Ambrose 68). Despite the historically accurate nature of the story, there is very real symbolism found in this dream, best suited for a young brave seeking his identity on the Plains. This vision event could fall into a number of benchmarks within Campbells Cosmogonic Cycle and the adventure of the hero. For example, it might represent the call to adventure, a time when Crazy Horse (or Curly, as he was known then) found his place within the tribe as a great warrior of powerful skill and constitution. It is more likely, however, that the vision marks the supernatural aid, a helpful force beyond human comprehension, perhaps from the world of the Great Sprit, or simply the hidden wisdom of the mind, unlocked through hunger and hardship (Campbell, 69). This vision, regarded as spiritual fate, was much more than prediction; whatever the vision proscribed for the dreamer, it was wakan, and never to be disregarded (Ambrose 67). This also marks the crossing of Crazy Horses first threshold (Campbell 77). The sequence of symbols and images, although not interpreted until later, represent the rest of his life, from his battle rituals to his untimely death at the hands of the white man. Although some ambiguity exists as to what entity might represent the Threshold Monster, the most likely explanation would be that Curly himself is the monster, and a great deal of self-discovery and conquering of personal fear must take place before any individual growth can be accomplished. In terms of symbolic importance, the dream is unquestionably key. It carries ma ...

Professional Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Professional Nursing - Essay Example The discussion is guided by Colin Rees' (2003) critique framework, which looks into the following parts of the research article: focus of the material, the background presented, the terms of reference, the study design, the data collection method, and ethical considerations. It goes further to include looking into conclusion and recommendations, readability, and finally, its implications to practice. These parts provide for the body of this critique Focus. The theme of the research article is that there is no relationship between isotretinoin or antibiotic/topic treatments and depression and the patient's quality of life. This article could be filed under the key words: acne therapy, adverse effects, causal relationship, depression, and isotretinoin. The title clearly gives a clue to the focus. Despite its limited number of respondents and other limitations, the study is important to the profession or practice as it can add to the pool of research on the subject. Background. The study claimed that there have been increasing interests about the possible relationship between isotretinoin therapy and depressive symptoms. It quoted Ault's (1998) study, which estimated that there have been more than two million users of isotretinoin in the United States since 1982. Further, it said, Wysowski et al's (2001) research mentioned that between 1982 and 2000, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA had received 431 adverse reaction reports on isotretinoin therapy. These included cases of depression, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide in patients. Also, Ault (1998) was said to have reported 37 suicides, 110 hospitalized patients and 24 cases of recurring depression on drug re-challenge. The literature mentioned about gaps in research, hence the undertaking of the study. It said that while the literature pertaining to the efficacy and physical adverse effects of isotretinoin (13-cis-retinoic acid) are widely available, the psychological effects, particularly depression, are not well documented. This was mentioned in the researches done by Mills and Marks (1993), Bigby and Stern (1988), and Hull and Bartel (2000). The research said there are possibilities for association but causal relationship is not established, nor any etiological relationship. Further, it is not clear whether depression is a result of using isotretinoin, or the psychological effect of suffering severe acne or even a combination of both. No local problems have been laid out, understandably because drug side effects are a worldwide concern and the scope is beyond the locality. The research may have been carried out as "although the possible association between isotretinoin and depression has been known for over 15 years, no causal relationship or etiological mechanisms have been established." (Ault, 1998). There was no theoretical or conceptual framework presented for this case. Terms of reference. The aim of the research, in the words of the authors, "is to evaluate depressive symptoms and quality of life in acne patients having either isotretinoin or antibiotics/topical treatments." Although there was no hypothesis, the dependent variables are clearly isotretinoin and antibiotic/ topical treatment. On the other hand, the independent variables are depression, quality of life, and acne severity ratings. There were