A Foucauldian Analysis of Old Age and the Power of Social Welfare

It is argued that the question of social welfare is a key, if often overlooked, component in the construction of power relations & identities in later life that can take its place next to debates on bioethics & consumer lifestyle. Foucault's (1977) claim that identities are kept in place through the deployment of integrated systems of power & knowledge & a routine operation of surveillance & assessment, is critically examined in this context. Trends in social welfare in the UK are used as a case example that sheds light on wider contemporary issues associated with old age. Finally, implications for the creation of particular narratives about later life are discussed & grounded through Foucault's (1988) notion of "technologies of self." 6 References. Adapted from the source document.