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Of shepherds, sheep and sheepdogs?: governing the adherent self through complementary and competing ‘pastorates’

Waring, Justin; Latif, Asam

Authors

Justin Waring

Asam Latif



Abstract

Foucault’s concept of ‘pastoral power’ describes an important technique for constituting obedient subjects. Derived from his analysis of the Christian pastorate, he saw pastoral power as a prelude to contemporary technologies of governing ‘beyond the State’, where ‘experts’ shepherd self-governing subjects. However, the specific practices of modern pastorate have been little developed. This papers examines the relational practices of pastoral power associated with the government of medicine use within the English healthcare system. The study shows how multiple pastors align their complimentary and variegated practices to conduct behaviours, but also how pastors compete for legitimacy, and face resistance through the mobilisation of alternate discourses and the strategic exploitation of pastoral competition. The paper offers a dynamic view of the modern pastorate within the contemporary assemblages of power.

Citation

Waring, J., & Latif, A. (in press). Of shepherds, sheep and sheepdogs?: governing the adherent self through complementary and competing ‘pastorates’. Sociology, https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038517690680

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jan 5, 2017
Online Publication Date Feb 20, 2017
Deposit Date Feb 22, 2017
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Sociology
Print ISSN 0038-0385
Electronic ISSN 1469-8684
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038517690680
Keywords Foucault, Governmentality, Healthcare, Medicines, Pastoral Power
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/845263
Publisher URL http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0038038517690680

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