Michael Foucoult calls it "govermentality" by which he means all the rules which we increasingly are subjected to by the multiple discourses in our society. The rules must be obeyed or there is some penalty. These are the "unwritten laws" in our society although often they are codified in the "small print" of agreements, contracts, policies and procedures, etc.
We live under the illusion that we are free but in fact we are subjected to multiple rules, norms, social mores all the time. John Couger Mellancamp has that great song,The Authority Song, whose chorus is "I fight authority and authority always wins."
In therapy, I often examine with people the governmentality in their lives. Often times clients feel that these expectations and requirements are unfair and/or contraining in counterproductive ways.
Interestingly, this governmentality is often unconscious and experienced as "just the way things are" or if I can't comply or have been found lacking there must be something wrong with me. This concern comes up when people ask if it is "normal".
I will write more about discourses and the gaze in the future but wanted to capture this idea about governmentality. It is a form of social power. If you have ideas about it, please leave your comments.
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