Biopolitical Experience : Foucault, Power and Positive Critique

Biopolitical Experience offers an original and comprehensive interpretation of Michel Foucault's analysis of biopolitics -- situating biopolitics in the context of embodied histories of subjectivity, affective investments and structures of experience. Going beyond lamentation at the horrors of biopolitical domination, the book develops a positive-critique of biopolitical experience: offering explanations as to the enormous appeal of biopolitical discourse; and cultivating an affirmative, ethical and productive response to the technologies of biopolitical racism and securitization. Such a response is not about life escaping power or a retreat from life, but rather involves critical work on the conditions of production of population life (becoming collective). In addition to a detailed account of Foucault's writings on biopolitics, biology and experience the book offers a critique of some key contemporary interpretations of Foucault and develops the positive-critique of biopolitical experience by exploring the place of biopolitics, racism and contingency in feminist politics.

CLAIRE BLENCOWE is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick, UK. She has previously lectured in social, cultural and political theory at Newcastle and at Bristol.