History of Sexuality volume 1 reading and discussion group schedule

[Robert Nava]

History of Sexuality volume 1 reading and discussion group schedule

The following is the schedule of readings and discussion time for the discussion group on Foucault’s book History of Sexuality volume 1. As described below, two weeks will be dedicated to reading the designated parts of the text (I have also included the pages numbers for the readings so there isn’t any confusion). After the reading, a week will be dedicated to debriefing what has been read. This is an opportunity to make connections, ask questions of others, refer to secondary sources (you may want to discuss whether you agree with their understanding of the reading), and connect the ideas/concepts learned to your research of interest. The main goal of this discussion group is to help those involved move our research interest to new/fresh directions (although you may just be reading the text for fun and that’s okay too).

Anyone is welcome to contribute. I look forward to reading your ideas!

Readings( June 15th to June 28th )- Part One: We “Other Victorians,” Part 2: The Repressive Hypothesis, and Part 3: Scientia Sexualis (pp. 1-74)

Discussion time (June 29th to July 4th ): debrief of the readings, discussion, questions, responses, connections to secondary sources, connection to our research topics

Readings (July 6th to July 19th )- Part 4: The Deployment of Sexuality and Part 5: Right of Death and Power over life (pp. 75-159)

Discussion week (July 20th to July 26th) debrief reading, discussion, questions, responses, connections to secondary sources, connection to our research topics

Potentially Useful websites, outlines, and secondary sources on HoS1:

http://oneofthesethings.blogspot.com/2007/05/foucault-history-o-sex...

http://www.protevi.com/john/Foucault/HS1.pdf

http://users.california.com/~rathbone/foucau10.htm

http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/histofsex

Book: Starting With Foucault: An Introduction to Genealogy by C.G. Prado

[Umut]

I am sorry but the thing that there is a 'copyright' thing, I can only send the djvu(something like pdf) files of the 3volume of HoS privately. Anyone who wants it just send me a private message.

[Robert Nava]

Hello,
I am excited to start the conversation over our reading. You are welcome to start posting. I will be including my contribution by tomorrow evening.

regards,

robert

[Umut]

Hello.
I'm excited to see the start of the conversation. However, I'll probably can not manage to engage in the conversation perfectly becouse I've been reading the HOS from Turkish.(My english is not good enough to read Foucault from English; even it is hard to read from Turkish :P ) Therefore, I will just watch the conversation and include in wherever I can.

I am wondering how it will go on. I mean, the discussion method. Where can we start, how can we start... As long as I am disgusted about starting the conversation, I'm leaving it to you.
regards...
Umut

[Robert Nava]

Hello!

I have been thinking of different ways to debrief our reading. After much thought, I have decided to use a modified version of a common literature circle method. I have adapted Harvey Daniels literature circle model to work for adults and to an online format. Below you will find 6 categories with instructions. Your job is to try to complete as many categories as possible and to connect/respond to other’s postings. The goal of this book club is to help each other understand the text and help each other move our research interest forward. So please take the time and answer others’ questions, challenge their thoughts, and help them stretch their thinking.

I have attempted to keep the discussion organized by placing each category on its own conversation thread. When you respond to the category or comments under a category, please use the reply option to continue that thread. Don’t start a new discussion thread. This should prevent any confusion (I hope).

The 6 categories are: connections, questions, quotes to consider, illustration, words, and your research. Below you will find these same categories with instructions. I look forward to discussing!

[Robert Nava]

CONNECTIONS
find connections between the readings and other texts. You might find connections between, different sections of the readings, other books by Foucault, or other authors (be selective in the other authors you choose since not all members may be aware of the ideas of these other authors). The point is to make meaningful connections so that we connect what we have read to our schema about the concepts we are reading. The other members are free to concur with the connections, challenge the connections, ask questions about the connections, and of course add their own connections.

[Robert Nava]

QUESTIONS
Write under this category the questions you have about parts of the readings. What were you wondering about while you were reading? Did you have questions about what Foucault was saying? What he meant? Include all your questions about the content of the reading here.

[Robert Nava]

QUOTES TO CONSIDER
Locate specific sections or quotations in the text for the group to talk about. The idea is to help people go back to some especially interesting, powerful, or important sections of the reading and think about them more carefully. Be sure to include why you chose the selection/quotes that you did.

[Robert Nava]

ILLUSTRATION
This is the section where you can share your understanding of the reading via visuals/ video clips. If there is an illustration/video clip that demonstrates the reading (either literally or metaphorically), add the link here and explain the connection. The rest of the members can comment on your illustration.

[Robert Nava]

WORDS
Foucault chose his words for a reason. Include here words that are puzzling to you that you would like to discuss. Please include the page number where the word is located and your thoughts on the word meaning

[Robert Nava]

YOUR RESEARCH

This is an opportunity to connect concepts from the HofSv1 to your research interest. You are to dig up articles in your research area that use concepts employed in the HofSv1 and briefly summarize how those authors are using the concepts in their research. You may want to include the potential gaps that this mini literature review is demonstrating. You could also ask others if they see any other directions using concepts in the HoSv1.

Another way of connecting to your research interest is by briefly introducing a concept from your research interest, explain a potential connection to the HofS concepts, and ask others if they can see any other connections.

[Clare O'Farrell]

WORDS

Readers who are interested in Foucault's notion of 'dispositif" (a notion exanded on by Deleuze) might be interested to know that this word is translated as 'deployment' in the HOS vol 1. Elsewhere it is translated as 'apparatus' or the original word 'dispositif' is left intact. This certainly makes it difficult for scholars working in English to trace this concept in Foucault's work.

[Ali M Rizvi]

Thanks Clare. I have read the HOS vol. 1 at least twice and never suspected that "deplyoment" was the translation of "dispositif." I wonder, though, whether the whether it is used in a technical sense here.