Theoretical Perspectives as Rituals of Power and Knowledge Essay Example for Free

Theoretical Perspectives as Rituals of Power and Knowledge Essay â€Å"Pornography is a panoptic function. It is everything watch by a mechanical eye†¦Optics is the genius of the West, and voyeurism is its major mechanism of control.† Monica Sjoo and Barbara Mor, The Great Cosmic Mother, p. 328. In order to begin to understand â€Å"panoptic functions,† such as the function of pornography as expressed in the headlining quote, one must understand these functions as structures for generalization, in order to later deconstruct deeper and more hidden meanings. In this sense, theoretical perspectives are always selective, yet it is within this selectivity that we can begin to unearth very deeply layered psychological and societal mechanisms of control. This essay will outline three historical mechanisms of social control (Christian demonology, classic criminology and the sciences of the medicalization of social control), and will juxtapose said mechanisms against the backdrop of sadistic pornography as a highly structured, ritualized agency for power and the creation of the â€Å"Other.† The essay will conclude with suggestions for a reduction in social mechanisms of hegemony and the creation of â€Å"otherness,† through an individual reduction in the psychological creation of â€Å"Other.† Christian demonology Christian demonology is an early tactic of the Roman Catholic Church, and a subsequent tactic of the modern-day deliverance-oriented Pentecostal ministries. In the case of demonology, the ecclesiastic power center felt that there was a need to utilize hegemonic tactics by creating a clear enemy in the form of a spirit force given all the qualities abhorred in humans. A clear evil was created for the reduction of deviant behaviors. A study into demonology will render a comprehensive list, given by the Church, of characteristics and activities in humans that create an association or an invocation for a possible demon take-over. Such activities as yoga, martial arts, female prayer gatherings, telepathy, seduction, and divination are all examples of activities that bring about demon possessions in human beings. Often demons are said to be the creators of negative emotions in humans. Many times, the Church would appeal to demonology for the explanation of any perceived deviance in behavior, particularly among women.   The organization (in this case, church) outlines clear behaviors and psychological characteristics deemed as â€Å"offensive† or â€Å"sinful.† The power structure then creates an outside force that has the power to take over the most intimate part of a human being: his/her very soul. The soul is captured by a fictitious being incapable of eradication by the human. In â€Å"The Great Cosmic Mother: Rediscovering the Religion of the Earth† (Monica Sjoo and Barbara Mor), we can see how, through fear tactics, the human being has been placed in a situation of inferiority, and must then appeal to the Church itself for the remedy and the perceived deviance. The female element, the relationship of the human to the all-encompassing reality out there, has become territory of the white male dominating power. The Church, in this fashion, is both the creator and the eradicator of evil, of sin, or of social deviance. Human morality in the Other (the sinner) is created, judged and remedied through the interaction with the power structure. Christian demonology is a clear example of what Stephen Pfohl refers to as â€Å"social control†, stating that â€Å"When effective, social control ritually reduces, expels, or constrains what is other to the dominant organization of power within a specific historical period.† Through the creation of a demon possessive force, Church hegemonies successfully ritualize a categorization of behaving and thinking considered moral, and others that are considered evil, sick, immoral or crazy. This is the creation of deviance. Core rituals and images of demonic social control include the social contract, rational hedonism, and the calculation of pleasure and pain. These are concepts are drawn upon in Stephen Pfohl’s â€Å"Images of Deviance and Social Control.† The social contract, in the case of demonology, there is an implied agreement between the Church and the people, whereby a social order is established. In this sense, people give up some say over particular beliefs, in order to receive the protection of the authoritative body. In this sense, we can see how quickly people are ready to give up rights over action in order to receive a free pass into heaven. Rational hedonism involves an understanding of reality based on the search for pleasure and the avoidance of pain. The calculation of pleasure can be different to differing individuals.   Sexual sadism is an example of this, thus pleasures cannot be judged based on their qualities.   Ritually, the creators of demonology devised an entire host of rituals and images to further enforce the creation of deviance. Exorcism of demons, witch hunts, literature on demons, as well as specific cleansing techniques and remedies should one come in contact with such demons.   (though, again, some discussion of the core images and rituals of this form of social control would be helpful). As you point out, sadism is about domination and humiliation, but Susan Griffin offers a more robust definition of it. This definition involves the (masculine) othering of sexuality, nature, desire, and Eros†¦which, once projected onto the bodies of women, becomes a target of (sadistic) control. Perhaps this process of othering is similar to that you noticed in the demonic perspective. Perhaps, too, the sadistic fear and resulting domination of bodies resembles the medicalization of control over human bodies. Finally, in â€Å"Images of Deviance and Social Control† there are several relevant passages on sadism and these perspectives. See, for example, the closing section of the chapter on the classical perspective and also consider the witch burnings of the demonic perspective. Grade: C+ Please take these comments into consideration and revise the paper. Thank you!! Classical Crminology Classical criminology, an 18th and early 19th century reform to the justice and the prison system, it is associated with authors such as Cesare Beccaria (1738-1794), Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832), Samuel Romilly (1757-1818). These philosophers claimed to be advocates of principles of rights, fairness and due process in place of retribution, arbitrariness and brutality within the justice system. Critics of classical criminology claim that the system was a mere cover-up to the more outright systems of torture of the time, replacing blatant and barbaric control mechanisms with more subtle ones.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Critical criminologists see in these reforms a tool by which the new industrial order of capitalism was able to maintain class rule through appearing to apply objective and neutral rules of justice rather than obvious and direct class domination through coercion.† A part of classical criminology involves Social Control theory, whereby the process of socialization is furthered, building what is perceived â€Å"self-control† and lessening â€Å"anti-social† behaviors either by direct punishments or by more internal guilt-based controls. The Medicalization of Social Control Medicalization can be defined as â€Å"the process by which non-medical problems come to be defined and treated as if they are medical issues.† Recent times have witnessed an explosion of the medicalization of many areas of human experience and pathology. Alcoholism, emotional problems such as anxiety and depression, and even the experience of menopause in women, have been claimed by the medical community to be areas where an allopathic response is necessary. The dramatic growth in the number of categories of mental illness as explained the various versions of the DSM (diagnostic and statistical manual of mental illness) are primary examples. For instance, the current (DSM-IV) version lists impotence, premature ejaculation, jet lag, and caffeine intoxication as mental illnesses. In this sense, many of the body and mind’s processes are given somatic remedies through Western medical processes and medicines. If we think of our natural bodies and the processes that accompany it, we can see that this is truly our most intimate and personal sphere. In the case example of a woman with menopause, here we can clearly see how the medicalization of a woman’s natural hormonal changes are surrounded in discourses of negativity. Women are made to feel as if something is essentially wrong with them. The medical community can then cash in on these feelings of deviance in women, offering a plethora of remedies at a heavy cost. This process, named by Irvin K. Zola, extended the realm of medicine to formerly non-medical areas of life. In its extreme form, it includes social deviance, and even aging, as medical problems. The medical community, as a hegemony, has extended its discourse of power over into the realms of a person’s natural right to even die, making them feel like death itself is a condition of deviance. In this way, yet again, the individual is placed in an inferior state, stripped of power over their bodies ´ natural tendencies. Simply put, doctors are placed within the hierarchal structure as priests or shamans, the controllers of the power, the ultimate oracles for the human condition and the decision makers regarding our bodies as medicine corners more and more areas of our lives.   The medicalitzation of phenomena also follow ritualistic behavior. In much the same way as a priest tells us how to behave morally in order to avoid damnation, and a psychologist tells us how to behave socially in order to avoid imprisonment, similarly, medical doctors and pharmaceutical companies lay claim on bodies by instructing them how to behave in order to be free from disease. This ritual is based on imagery, which comes to us in the form of the mass media. The mass media represents the motivating ritualization force behind medicalization, whereby viewers are constantly being presented with a list of new diseases and the remedies offered to relieve these problems. Unfortunately, many of the so-called diseases are in fact natural processes in the pathway of life. Rituals of Sadistic Pornography as Related to Power Structure Deeply embedded into each of these three previously outlined power structures is an inherent need for group control. This is a reflection of an individual need for control, and of an inherent dissatisfaction with one’s own self. Nowhere can this be clearer seen than in sadistic pornography. In her book, Pornography and Silence, Susan Griffin eloquently describes the process of control in pornography. There need not be pain transpiring between the two people. The essential element is control and humiliation. One must be in control of the other, and own must humiliate the other in this culture to have power over another is a form of humiliation also objectification is a form of humiliation. We can extend this metaphor towards each of the aforementioned structures, whereby hegemony represents the sadist. A simple look into the definition of the two terms reinforces this belief. Hegemony is defined as the dominance or leadership of one social group or nation over another. A sadist is defined as someone who enjoys inflicting pain over another. The very nature of dominance is the clear intent to subordinate another, and in this lies the need for control as seen in demonology, classical criminology and medicalization. It is also the basic structure for any system, whether capitalism, racism, or religion, whereby one imposes power over another. â€Å"Group-ness† is the nature of humans, as well as many animals. We have the tendency to form groups for emotional and biological well-being. Against this backdrop, it is not to say that the nature of groups is sadistic, and therefore grouping is the problem. It is possible to create groups for social cohesion and working together in a way the supports the rights of the individual. This involves a commitment on the part of each individual to only be responsible for his/her own actions. It requires a deep realization, on a psychological level within the individual, that the creation of â€Å"Otherness† will do nothing but further alienate. In this light, we can begin to heal these destructive social devices through an acceptance of the individual right to have ownership of his/her body and processes as well as modes of behavior and expression. Sources (1) Griffin, Susan. â€Å"Pornography and Silence: Culture’s Revenge Against Nature† (2) Mor, Barbara. Sjoo, Monica. â€Å"The Great Cosmic Mother: Rediscovering the Religion of the Earth† (3) Pfohl, Stephen. â€Å"Images of Deviance and Social Control: A Sociological History† (4) Williams, Patricia. â€Å"The Alchemy of Race and Rights: Diary of a Law Professor† Web Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-classical_school http://www.uta.fi/laitokset/tsph/health/society/medicalisation.html Online Dictionary of the Social Sciences. bitbucket.icaap.org/dict.pl?term=CLASSICAL%20CRIMINOLOGY 7k