Michel Foucault was a French philosopher and social theorist born in 1926, known for his critical examination of modernity and concepts of identity and power. He argued that identity is fluid and constructed through social interactions, rejecting the notion of a fixed inner self, and posited that power is exercised rather than possessed. His theories have influenced media representation, particularly in character development in films, where characters are defined by their interactions with others.

1. Michel Foucault
French philosopher, historian
of ideas, social theorist,
philologist and literary critic.

2. Biography
Foucault was born in Poitiers, France into a
upper/middle class family on the 15th of
October 1926. He later died in 1984. He was
associated with the structuralism and post-
structuarlism movements during his lifetime
and Foucault was often labelled a post-
structuralist or postmodernist, but he rejected
these labels,
preferring to present
his thought as a ‘critical
history of modernity’.

3. Society’s Beliefs
We often talk about people as if they have particular
attributes as 'things' inside themselves; we believe that
people have an identity. For example, society believes that
at the heart of a person there is a fixed and true identity or
character (even though we may not always know exactly
what someone’s character is, or even exactly what our own
character is).We assume that people have an inner spirit -
qualities beneath the ‘surface’ of a person which determine
who that person really 'is'. We also say that some people
have power, and different levels of it, which means that
they are more (or less) able to achieve what they want in
their relationships with others, and within society as a
whole.

4. Foucault’s Theory
Foucault didn’t agree with society’s view. For
Foucault, people do not have a 'real' identity
within themselves; that's just a way of talking
about the person - a discourse. An 'identity' is
communicated to others in your interactions with
them, but it can shift; it is not fixed. It is a
impermanent feature. He also said that people do
not 'have' power unreservedly; instead, power is
a technique or action which individuals can
engage in. Power is not possessed; it is exercised.
And where there is power, there is always also
resistance.

5. Foucault’s Influence on Media
Foucault’s theory influences the media because
with his theory, he defined what essentially, a
‘character’ is. This important for film makers and
other medias when they are creating a character,
because they need to understand exactly what
‘character’ is, in order for them to create it.
The media now concentrate on their character’s
interactions with people in order to portray their
character, particularly in films and TV shows. I
think that this technique is effective.

6. Example of Foucault’s Theory in
Action
Examples of Foucault’s theory can be
found in most films and TV shows. Take
Toy Story, for example. Buzz Lightyear’s
character is defined by the way he
interacts with others. He is made out to be
slightly delusional, because he speaks to
Woody and other characters about how
he really is an astronaut hero and he uses
parts of his costume as if they are real,
when actually he’s just a toy. He is also
shown to be funny, although he doesn’t
intend to be, that’s just how his character
is defined by others. The way he talks
about being a superhero and saving the
day, and the way he actually tries to do so
is rather funny, and other characters are
sometimes shown to laugh at him, with a
shake of the head in disapproval.

7. Bibliography
• 1954 - Maladie mentale et personnalité (Paris: PUF,
1954) re-edited as Maladie mentale et psychologie
(1962), translated as: Mental Illness and Psychology by
A.M Sheridan Smith.
• 1961 - Histoire de la folie à l'âge classique - Folie et
déraison, translated as Madness and Civilisation: A
History of Insanity in the Age of Reason by R. Howard
• 1966 - Les mots et les choses - une archéologie des
sciences humaines, translated as The Order of Things:
An Archeology of Human Sciences
• 1971 - L'ordre du discours, translated as "The Discourse
on Language" by A.M Sheridan Smith.