Re: foucault rocks!iamcrestNovember 21 2005, 16:46:20 UTC
O that’s interesting. Probably the word was used for its Greek origins … For the Greeks, physical education was considered at least as important as cognitive learning. Most Greek gymnasia had libraries that could be utilized after relaxing in the baths. (According to wikipedia) Its like a sort of school as we know in modern day, and probably why 'das Gymnasium' used in German?
Yeh Foucault is rather progressive and provocative for his time, and still so relevant today. How’s the 60,000 word thesis coming along? Is it for a MPhil degree? That’s the length for here. Shiong!
Masculinity as read by homosexuals, is on the move. I am sure you're aware that masculinity now encompasses body hair in the West. Suddenly, gay men are no longer shaving and waxing, and conversely, straight men are "coerced" by straight females into trimming and shaving theirs.
I guess a lot of it is an attempt by the gay community to claim a new level of exclusivity - a creation of shared space and membership - for group communion. But of course, that leaves some members of the gay brethren disenfranchised yet again when they lack the ability to sprout chest hair.
The gay struggle, is actually no longer concerned with real equality, but with exclusivity. Exclusivity through hyper-masculinity.
just put it straight forward.... if u r doing it for someone else, stay at home and enjoy the eclairs... else... for ur own good.... the motivation will just come naturally ppl have mistaken and put an equal sign with working out and being buffed. I guess staying healthy is being left out somewhere.
Since this is the case.... swimming is definitely applicable. :D
Haha éclairs … remember La Maison Du Chocolat’s éclairs?
Yes, you spotted it - I’ve excluded the issue of fitness here cos I consider ‘being healthy’ as a semiotic myth - one which appears to be ‘natural’ but is in fact motivated by ideology. And I totally agree with you, any sport can be analysed with such critical perspective.
Sports aside, I wanna try your desserts when I’m back!!! When will your dessert boutique and bar be up? Gimme exclusive membership hor.
a few points to add. the mirrors in gyms and the etymology of the word "gym" could possibly carry a nakedness, an inability to hide even behind one's own skin, hence amplifying the visibility of one's body for the self and others from all angles. hence a much more effective panoptical effect that all police states would dare to dream of!!
psychologically overcompensation i guess, the machoness thingy?
i actually saw a very relevant article in an issue of american journal of psychiatry a few months back, which compared the self-image (re: masculinity) between american white males and taiwanese males. u might be interested to take a peek at it?
Brilliant! Thanks for the points, haven’t considered much of the mirrors in the gyms. They do change the way we relate to the space.
Overcompensation, yes when critiquing from a psychoanalytical perspective. There’s quite a lot of interesting psychoanalytical research and writings on men and their bodies (like the one you've passed me), especially on gay men and bodybuilders. Its interesting that they always analyse the subject as some negative, pathetic position though - insecure, narcissistic etc. Hah.
Thanks for the article. I think I’ve read about it somewhere in the newspapers a few months ago, but not the whole article though. I’ll have a good read later.
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Yeh Foucault is rather progressive and provocative for his time, and still so relevant today. How’s the 60,000 word thesis coming along? Is it for a MPhil degree? That’s the length for here. Shiong!
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what i love about foucault is that even though he develops his theories in highly specific contexts, they can be applied across so many fields.
it's not a 60,000 word thesis--that word count refers to the cumulation of all the essays i have written so far in melbourne uni :-D
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60,000 words. That's a lot of words still... I'll just be hitting 40,000 words by the end of my course. ;)
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Masculinity as read by homosexuals, is on the move. I am sure you're aware that masculinity now encompasses body hair in the West. Suddenly, gay men are no longer shaving and waxing, and conversely, straight men are "coerced" by straight females into trimming and shaving theirs.
I guess a lot of it is an attempt by the gay community to claim a new level of exclusivity - a creation of shared space and membership - for group communion. But of course, that leaves some members of the gay brethren disenfranchised yet again when they lack the ability to sprout chest hair.
The gay struggle, is actually no longer concerned with real equality, but with exclusivity. Exclusivity through hyper-masculinity.
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its a love hate relationship....
just put it straight forward.... if u r doing it for someone else, stay at home and enjoy the eclairs...
else... for ur own good.... the motivation will just come naturally
ppl have mistaken and put an equal sign with working out and being buffed. I guess staying healthy is being left out somewhere.
Since this is the case.... swimming is definitely applicable. :D
Reply
Yes, you spotted it - I’ve excluded the issue of fitness here cos I consider ‘being healthy’ as a semiotic myth - one which appears to be ‘natural’ but is in fact motivated by ideology. And I totally agree with you, any sport can be analysed with such critical perspective.
Sports aside, I wanna try your desserts when I’m back!!! When will your dessert boutique and bar be up? Gimme exclusive membership hor.
Reply
a few points to add. the mirrors in gyms and the etymology of the word "gym" could possibly carry a nakedness, an inability to hide even behind one's own skin, hence amplifying the visibility of one's body for the self and others from all angles. hence a much more effective panoptical effect that all police states would dare to dream of!!
psychologically overcompensation i guess, the machoness thingy?
i actually saw a very relevant article in an issue of american journal of psychiatry a few months back, which compared the self-image (re: masculinity) between american white males and taiwanese males. u might be interested to take a peek at it?
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adonis complex in the east and west.
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Overcompensation, yes when critiquing from a psychoanalytical perspective. There’s quite a lot of interesting psychoanalytical research and writings on men and their bodies (like the one you've passed me), especially on gay men and bodybuilders. Its interesting that they always analyse the subject as some negative, pathetic position though - insecure, narcissistic etc. Hah.
Thanks for the article. I think I’ve read about it somewhere in the newspapers a few months ago, but not the whole article though. I’ll have a good read later.
Take care and keep in touch!
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