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The Plurality of Power pp 105–123Cite as

Biopower: Discipline, Symbolic Violence, and the Privilege of Hygiene

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Part of the book series: Contributions To Global Historical Archaeology ((CGHA))

Abstract

Foucault’s concept of biopower or “power over life” explains how Fayette’s management benefited from techniques of power that reinforced economic and gendered hierarchies. The politics of health paralleled the town’s economic hierarchy, as Fayette’s poorest workers were disproportionately affected by company policies regarding sanitation and health care. The upper classes invested extensively in medical paraphernalia and medicinal remedies, while the middle and working classes purchased substantially fewer of those items. The working-class neighborhood was adjacent to an industrial waste dump, which encroached upon residents’ houses. Legislative documentation, disciplinary institutions, surveillance, and symbolic violence created disciplined subjects of the company, although individuals had the freedom to improvise in their daily practices.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The view from the superintendent’s family residence is based on an elevation of 18′ (5.49 m) above ground surface, based on architectural data from as-built blueprints on file at Fayette Historic State Park. The view represents a 5′6″ person’s 360° view from second-story windows.

  2. 2.

    The view from working-class housing is based on an elevation of 13′ (3.96 m) above ground surface, based on architectural data from as-built blueprints on file at Fayette Historic State Park. The view represents an adult’s 360° view from the top of second-story windows.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Sarah E. Cowie

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  1. Sarah E. Cowie
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Correspondence to Sarah E. Cowie .

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Cowie, S.E. (2011). Biopower: Discipline, Symbolic Violence, and the Privilege of Hygiene. In: The Plurality of Power. Contributions To Global Historical Archaeology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8306-0_6

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