Introduction

This blog is a working bibliography of the feminist reception of the French historian/philosopher Foucault. I created this blog to help me study for my comprehensive exam in critical theory.

It is not difficult to understand why Foucault’s new historicism is attractive to feminists. Relying on his analysis of the Western history, Foucault offers an understanding of power as relations whose play has constructed our social reality in the course of history. In this interplay of power relations, the individual’s body, sexuality, and subject, rather than biologically determined, are socially (and discursively) constructed. Therefore, this understanding open ups possibilities of social and personal transformation. For feminists, Foucault’s idea of social construction of identities and genders etc. empowers women to reject/resist the identities that are imposed on us by the patriarchal heteronormative society. To some others, however, Foucault’s theory is counter-productive because they perceive a gap between Foucault’s theory and action. The deconstruction of identity and gender creates difficulty for women to organize and to engage in activism.

This bibliography reflects various perspectives along these lines among feminists. The authors in this bibliography touch many key concepts in Foucault's theory, such as power, body, subjection, sexuality, and panopticon, and relate to various issues surrounding women such as activism, identity construction, sexuality, and rape. However, the discussion is nowhere near the end, and the list will continue to grow.

Enjoy reading and I'll be happy to read your comments.