Language and Power

Michel Foucault: "Power is Everywhere" Michel Foucault talks about power as being something that is all-pervasive, something that is "everywhere". Power is not easily-seen, the strongest form of power is "normalizing power" as it is subtle and without actual violence but it uses the threat of violence to keep people "in check" so to say. This power seeks to label what is "normal" and what is not. It, very subtly, guides us in our daily lives to do go about doing things in certain ways (what clothes one wears, what music one listens to, what accent one speaks in, etc.).  "Normalizing power" is contrary to "repressive power" which is overt and violent. People, regardless of socioeconomic status, are subjected to normalizing power in one way or another. Power is also typically backed by science and ever-changing truths (the truth today is much different than the truth of 1955, for example). Generally, we have five major