Foucauldian Discourse on Punishment

Foucauldian Discourse on Punishment Foucauldian Discourse on Punishment It is noteworthy that the power and techniques of punishment depend on knowledge that creates and classifies individuals, and that knowledge derives its authority from certain relationships of power and domination (Sparknotes, 2006). However, it is in the works of French philosopher Michel Foucault on penal institutionsthat the idea of punishment as part of a discourse of power is made explicit. In this paper, I will critically assess Foucault’s discourse concept on punishment as well as Bentham’s panopticon theory demonstrating the extent of Foucault’s concept towards punishment. Disciplinary institutions are, by and large, places where power is exercised and coursed through various mechanisms. Without doubt, it is in Discipline and Punish (1977) that Foucault’s concern with discipline and surveillance becomes even more pronounced than his other genealogical works. In this work he examines the progressive sophistication of disciplinary mechanisms such as punishments employed in prisons that are in fact, upon closer scrutiny, representative of the same progression of disciplinary mechanisms in society. He undertook an examination of power relations using the penal institution as a take-off point, for the primary reason that it is here where the different disciplinary techniques used in the exercise of power are more evident. At the outset, he shows how torture and execution was made a public spectacle; with the condemned man being paraded in a manner deemed suited to the crime he committed. Interestingly however, public tortures and executions soon became a ‘hidden’ affair, with the condemned man being transferred secretly from one place to another in a manner as inconspicuous as possible, using plain carriages with no particular distinguishing mark indicating that the cargo was a convicted felon. Nevertheless, Foucault points out the concern that the institution has with the ‘body’, a preoccupation that the prison has in common with the asylum and the hospital and, upon close examination, with other institutions as well(Foucault, 1977, p.25). The shifting of torture and execution from the public to the private realm (resulting in more economical disciplinary techniques) subtly demonstrates how mechanisms of discipline evolve and take other forms. In an interview, Foucault states: What I wanted to show is the fact that, starting from a certain conception of the basis of the right to punish, one can find in the work of penal experts and philosophers of the 18th century that different means of punishment were perfectly conceivable. Indeed in the reform movement†¦ one finds a whole spectrum of means to punish that are suggested, and finally it happens that the prison was in some way, the privileged one (Foucault, in Lotringer, 1989, p.286). Using the prison as an example, Foucault demonstrates how such disciplinary institutions utilize different techniques to form ‘docile bodies’: a direct coercion of the body to produce both productive subjects and instruments with which to channel power (Foucault, 1977, p.136). This is a positive perspective of power, because through subjection and subjugation, the individual at once becomes a productive body through direct bodily training. There is a purpose to an institution’s exercise of power, depending upon the nature of that institution; at most, what can be said insofar as purpose is concerned is that institutions all aim at producing ‘docile bodies’ in whatever form the latter may take. Again, this depends on what type of individual an institution intends to fashion. Docile body simply refers to the type of individual that is trained and disciplined in the context of a power relation in an institution. In discussing productivity, it can be understood to refer to the capacity of institutions to produce individuals of a specific type, utilizing punishments as mechanisms. In their book, Michel Foucault (1984), Cousins and Hussains write â€Å"that imprisonment is also enveloped in a mechanism of power† (p. 173). Foucault sees discipline, therefore, as combinative: it functions to combine elements, in this case, individuals, into a uniform mass not through the individual variables found in each element, but through the characteristics imposed upon it because of the space it occupies. Hence, the space defines the capabilities of each individual, which in turn contribute to the collective function of the mass. As it were, the individual is trained through its designation or position, the series that is relevant to his codified space, and through the issuance of a systematic order or command from the authority (Foucault, 1977, p.166). In the following part, it will be made evident that for Foucault, the institutional role of the prison-model of society paves the way for control and observation. At the end of the chapter entitled Panopticism, Foucault explicitly stated: The practice of placing individuals under ‘observation’ is a natural extension of a justice imbued with disciplinary methods and examination procedures. Is it surprising that the cellular prison, with its regular chronologies, forced labour, its authorities of surveillance and registration, and its experts in normality, who continue and multiply the functions of the judge, should have become the modern instrument of penality? Is it surprising that prisons resemble factories, schools, barracks, hospitals, which all resemble prisons? (p. 228). In this particular passage, Foucault outlines the mechanisms that the prison uses in controlling criminality. On closer examination, what he in fact outlines are the mechanisms that operate within different social institutions. This is a noteworthy point, since the institutions that he mentioned, i.e. factories, schools, barracks, and hospitals, all function in essentially the same way as the modern prison. These all use specific procedures and techniques to discipline subjects. Jeremy Bentham’s concept of the â€Å"Panopticon† became an influential model for modern day architectural efficiency. In short, the prison that he envisioned in the late 18th century was to be constructed in such a way as to have the individual cells arranged in a circular manner, with an observation tower at the centre of the formation, light coming from the outside of the cells illumines the inmate for whoever is staying at the observation tower, while the observer in the tower itself remains hidden from the cells’ occupants (See. Figure 1). This arrangement reverses, yet makes even more powerful, the traditional notion of incarceration that is, the putting away of criminality. Thus, to assume that someone is in the observation tower even if there is no one there is the full effect of the â€Å"Panopticon†. Foucault (1977) further clarified: Hence the major effect of the Panopticon: to induce in the inmate a state of conscious and permanent visibility that assures the automatic functioning of power. So to arrange things that the surveillance is permanent in its effects, even if it is discontinuous in its action; that the perfection of power should tend to render its actual exercise unnecessary†¦ in short, that the inmates should be caught up in a power situation of which they are themselves the bearers. (p. 201) It can be seen that central to the effective use of the panoptic principle is the efficiency of surveillance mechanisms. The latter should function in such a way as to force the recipient of disciplinary power to keep watch over his/her own actions, because of the fact that s/he is being observed by the authority figure. The concept of the gaze is what makes discipline work. In the panoptic model, visibility becomes the central principle that governs incarceration. In other words, For Foucault, the â€Å"Panopticon† represents the way in which discipline and punishment work in modern society. It is a diagram of power in action because by looking at a plan of the â€Å"Panopticon†, one realizes how the processes of observation and examination operate (Sparknotes, 2006). To my way of thinking, by and large the foucauldian concept of discourse towards punishment is an explicit, objective and realistic extensive concept with an array of persuasive arguments and insights on power and techniques of punishment that reflect the modern penal system and simultaneously the various mechanisms of observation and examination. On the whole, what is made evident at this point is that punishment in Foucault should be understood as something much broader than simple retribution. Instead, punishment is an act that is subsumed under the notion of discipline, or training. As such, the prison institution is designed to re-form a criminal into an individual who can be reintegrated into mainstream society, in order to be made useful and productive once more. As already mentioned, the mechanisms used by society are by and large the same mechanisms of discipline used in institutions such as the prison. Within this larger framework, it is implied that the notion of punishment, in all its forms, operate as a part of a purposeful social design within which all other theories become possible. What is positive about such a societal setup is the fact that techniques such as punishments are not entirely negative or prohibitive. Relations of power are important for Foucault because of the positive effects borne out of it. As a final positive note, consider what he says that is summed up best in an interview: It seems to me that power is ‘always already there’, that one is never ‘outside’ it†¦ But this does not entail the necessity of accepting an inescapable form of domination†¦ To say that one can never be ‘outside’ power does not mean that one is trapped and condemned to defeat no matter what (Foucault, 1980, p.141). While Foucault did not agree with the prison per se as the best form of punishment, he saw in the prison a mechanism that, as used by the society, functions as a state mechanism for internalizing discipline. That means the individual would be responsible for governing or disciplining himself from within. Every time the person â€Å"feels the gaze† (i.e. domination), he would be forced to govern himself. In other words, the effects of discipline are felt even though the disciplinary power is absent. The prison is therefore not simply a place for punishment, but a model of an effective mechanism. Bibliography Cousins, M. Hussain, A. (1984)Michel Foucault. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Macey, D. (1994) The Lives of Michel Foucault. London: Vintage. Foucault, M. (1977). Discipline and Punish. Alan Sheridan Trans. New York: Vintage Books. Foucault, M. (1989.) What calls for Punishment? In: Lotringer, S. ed. Foucault Live. New York: Columbia University, pp. 279-292. Foucault, M. (1980). Power and Strategies. In: Gordon, C. ed. Power/Knowledge. New York: Pantheon, pp. 134-145. Sparknotes. (2006). Michael Foucault: Discipline and Punish. Available: Last accessed 1 March 2007. Panopticon (Prison’s Plan) Figure 1 From Discipline and Punish, 1977

Real vs Reality TV

Television has become a â€Å"member† of almost every single family on our planet. And not just an ordinary member, but a very important one, because the time spent next to it exceeds the amount of time spent together with any other family member. You do not have to apply any efforts to talk or listen to complaints while â€Å"communicating† with it. You do not have to play with your little son after a hard working day. You are SO tired! Can anybody respect that? You can simply turn the TV on and everything is done. The kids are quiet, your significant other is not complaining. It is so simple that it has become an integral part of the culture of every family. It is the only time, when a person can forget about all the family troubles and the failures of the day. The sofa opposite the TV set has become the place of â€Å"reconciliation and spiritual unity† of the family. And what is it that we’re watching? Is it an educational or discovery channel? Although some might, the majority of the shows we consume are reality shows. But â€Å"what is reality television? † one might ask. Reality TV is defined by MSN Encarta as â€Å"television programs that present people in live, though often deliberately manufactured, situations and monitor their emotions and behavior. † Within this genre of television are subgenres such as Game or Elimination, Talent, Talk, Makeover, Documentary, and Spoofs. It was first introduced by Allen Flunt’s 1948 program Candid Camera. The show involved concealing cameras filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations, sometimes involving trick props, such as a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. When the joke was revealed, victims would be told the show's catch phrase, â€Å"Smile, you're on Candid Camera. † The show became a top rated TV show in both network runs and syndication. Reality television enjoyed a renewed popularity in the 2000s with shows like American Idol that featured an interactive aspect, asking viewers to call in to vote for favorites. Today you cannot turn the television on without coming across reality television. The final ratings for the 2009-2010 television seasons show that reality TV lead the pack and bring up the rear end. It is everywhere and although it has spread in popularity there is often more negative remarks made against it than positive. Critics of reality TV often argue that the shows promote sex, drinking, violence and racism. Although reality TV may be fun to watch, it is very dangerous for teenagers who don’t have set morals and self-identities. Reality TV is questionable because of the messages some of the shows depict. While these messages can have an effect on everyone who views them, the audience that may be the most susceptible is teenagers. The most contested issues are whether reality TV is, in fact, â€Å"reality† and whether teenagers may develop perceptions from the reality shows that may lead to poor choices and negative consequences. In a 2004 issue of â€Å"Pediatrics,† Rebecca L. Collins, senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corp. , and her colleagues presented the results of a survey that measured the amount of sexual explicit television that teenagers watched and how much sexual experience the teenagers had had at a one-year follow up survey. They found that teenage exposure to sexual content on television shows increased the likelihood of initiating sexual acts and the effect of shows that depicted sexual behaviors and those that just discussed sex had the same effect on teenage audiences. Similarly, in a 2008 edition of â€Å"Pediatrics,† Anita Chandra, a behavioral scientist at the RAND Corp. , and her colleagues released the results of a survey conducted over a three-year period that measured teenagers' exposure to sexual content on television and any resulting first-hand experience with pregnancy. They found that teenagers who regularly watch television programs containing a significant amount of sexual behavior are two times more likely to become pregnant or impregnate someone than those teenagers who do not watch programs with sexual content. Reality TV is also dangerous because of the way it depicts the characters as heavy drinkers. Many programs include segments that show the main characters drinking, partying and engaging in rambunctious behavior, but they often fail to show to the consequences that the characters must face for these actions. When teenagers see these types of behaviors, they might be led to believe that they too should consume large amounts of alcohol and act in a similar manner. Television violence in reality TV is another major concern. Studies show that the amount of violence that is watched on television affects the amount of aggression and violence displayed in the individual (Fernandez, Roberto, Juan and Amy 137). Reality shows such as The Bad Girls Club and The Real World have more than its share of the violence. The target viewers for MTV are ages twelve to thirty three, this demographic makes up approximately thirty three percent of the U. S. population (Smith 89). Thirteen year olds are already susceptible to influence, and are more at risk to be adversely affected by violent television than are those of later years (Comstock 1205). If life is really like it is depicted to be on an episode of The Bad Girls Club, the average person should wake up to a side of pointless fight, brunch to a cussing war, and eat supper around the time someone breaks a nose. Studies of US television airings discovered that there was a consistent rate of five to six violent acts per hour (Fernandez, Roberto, Juan and Amy 137). In watching an episode of the Ultimate Fighter, one can expect to see at least twenty to thirty violent acts within the thirty minute airing with three minute commercial interruptions. Arriving at twenty to thirty violent acts in an episode is when you only count each individual match as one act. The numbers climb out of the ring as fast as in. If this is what young adolescents are taking is as â€Å"reality† than it is no wonder there are problems with violence and aggression in schools and on the streets. In a behavioral science study, it was stated that â€Å"Aggression [†¦ is the product of social categorization† and that it is not a natural phenomenon (Comstock 1206). According to a study conducted at Syracuse University in New York, â€Å"There is a statistically significant, positive relationship between exposure to television or film violence and aggressive and antisocial behavior† (Comstock 1186). The study concluded this theory by stating that by viewing violent television in everyday life, antisocial and aggressive behaviors and tendencies would be facilitated (Comstock 1191). With this outlook, it seems much more likely that the significant amount of aggression present in society today can very well be influenced if not caused by the vast ocean of aggression harbored in television culture. Racism is very prevalent in crime reality television. There is a vast overrepresentation of violent crime (e. g. Kooistra, Mahoney, & Westervelt 1998; Oliver, 1994; Potter et al, 1997), crimes cleared (e. g. , Kooistra et al, 1998; Oliver, 1994) and non-whites as offenders and whites as law nforcement officers. In a direct test of the cultivation hypothesis, a social theory which examined the long-term effects of television on American audiences of all ages, Oliver & Armstrong (1998) reported that whites who watched more reality TV were more likely to report higher crime prevalence estimates. The construction of these programs is considered from a cultural, qualitative perspective focusing on the ideal perspectives conveyed about law and order, social threats, and audience empowerment (Cavender, 11998; J.  Fishman, 1999). For example, Cavender and Bond-Maupin (1993) argue that these programs make use of story-telling conventions to encourage empathy with an unsuspecting victim who falls prey to evil, which, in turn, primes the notion that no place is safe. They also indicated that reality-based crime shows such as America’s Most Wanted and Unsolved Mysteries depict crime in ways similar to those used in fictionalized crime shows which reinforces existing cultural stereotypes about criminals and victims. The First 48 is one of the most watched non-fiction investigation series which aires on A&E. Set in several cities across the U. S. , the series offers an insider’s look at the real-life world of homicide investigators. Each episode picks one or more homicides in different cities, covering each alternately, showing how detectives use forensic evidence, witness interviews and other advanced detective skills to identify suspects. The cops on this show are mainly White, with the exception of a couple of Black investigators that are shown on few episodes. This show is very biased in the fact that it depicts only the black communities across the nation and that which is full of criminals, gang violence & drug saturation. One would almost think that there are no White people who commit the same types of crime(s) in those cities. Or is it that the Police Departments in the white communities of those (& other) cities don't permit the exploitation which is presented by this programming’s directors? The genre has also created a slew of reality stars, as a result of the fame game. It seems that many are random people with no apparent talent. Keeping up with the Kardashians has made famous a whole family who appear to be famous without reason except that they have a reality show. Another reality TV favorite is The Real Housewives of Atlanta. The series has been going strong for three seasons. Everything about the show is a mess. This season has been about even more drama than ever before. Will Cynthia marry Peter? Is Phaedra married to a convict? Will â€Å"NeNe† and Greg get divorced? Will Brice get it together? The craziness and complexity of it all is never ending. Why do we care? These people are just ordinary people with no real celebrity other than what we the viewers give them. The uses and gratifications perspective, the assumption that a media channel cannot influence an individual unless that person has some use for the medium or its particular message (e. g. Katz, 1959; Rubin & Rubin, 1985), may be a clear explanation of the genre’s appeal. The uses and gratifications framework includes five primary beliefs. The first is that an individual’s behavior is goal directed and motivated. Second, people select and use media to satisfy biological, psychological and social needs. Third, individuals are influenced by various social and psychological factors when selecting among communication alternatives. Fourth, those media consumers are aware of their needs and whether these needs are being satisfied by a particular medium. Fifth, that different media compete with one another for attention, selection, and use. In sum, uses and gratifications theory states that individuals are aware of their needs, evaluate various channels and content, assess functional alternatives and select the media or interpersonal channel that they believe will provide the gratifications they seek. Reality TV also offers some positive aspects as well. American Idol, which is the leader of reality TV, had over 24,000,000 viewers. The show starts off with thousands of people auditioning in hopes of becoming America’s next superstar. Some can sing, but many just make utter fools of themselves on national television. Just a week ago an American Idol hopeful auditioned in front of the judges with her opera rendition of Justin Beiber’s song â€Å"Baby†. As she belts the notes Randy immediately puts his head down and motions for her to stop. Steven Tyler and â€Å"JLo† look as if they don’t know what is going on and as she hits the high note Steven marks the end with the sound of an explosion. They break out with laughter, just as we do sitting at home watching. â€Å"What the hell was that? † may be what comes to mind. Beside it being purely entertaining because we like to see others humiliate themselves, the show offers stories of success. For the people who volunteer themselves for the likes of American Idol and America's Next Top Model, winning the show is potentially a life-changing experience and a springboard to a career in the entertainment industry. The reward is there for the taking, but it's often not just the winners who can make a name for themselves. Jennifer Hudson, a finalist on season 3 of American idol and Tocarra Jones, a participant on season 3 of America's Next Top Model, may not have won the shows, but they both went on to have major success. Jennifer Hudson made her film debut in the 2006 film Dreamgirls, which won her many awards such as an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe Award. She also won a Grammy award for her debut album. Tocarra is a working plus-size model today and she is signed to the largest modeling agency in the world. Reality TV can also provide learning on dating, family relations, friendships and dealing with sensitive issues. Pedro Zamora's 1994 appearance on MTV reality show The Real World was a landmark media event: the first openly HIV-positive gay man on a nationwide TV series. Zamora, who died at 22 just as Real World: San Francisco ended, was a teen when he learned he was HIV-positive, a diagnosis that led the diminutive Miami resident to become an AIDS activist and educator. His MTV fame ultimately drew the attention of President Clinton. Zamora's role on Real World: San Francisco was memorable not only for lecturing housemates and viewers about HIV and preventative measures but also for his combative relationship with the abrasive Puck Rainey, one of the most polarizing roommates in the show's 21-year history. Things got so testy between Zamora and the politically incorrect Rainey that the roommates ultimately banned Rainey from their collective home. Even those reality shows that aren't competitions can still make a name for the stars. Lauren Conrad started her career on MTV's â€Å"Laguna Beach: The Real OC,† and with subsequent exposure on â€Å"The Hills† has become a best-selling author, spokesperson and fashion designer–not bad for a normal California girl. Watching these successes has also inspired a generation of youngsters to aspire to make something of themselves. They want to better their lives and find inspiration from the success stories after the cameras have stopped rolling. Reality TV also offers a source of distraction and diversion to everyday life. It gives you a break away from your stress and frustration. Of course this does not solve the root case, but it helps take away from the root source of the stress. Although taking a walk or reading a book may be better alternatives for distractions, reality TV still allows you to momentarily forget your problems because you’re consumed in others on television. Although reality TV offers some positive aspects such as success stories, positive learning experiences, distractions and others, the negatives outweigh them all when it comes to the teenagers which the shows are aimed at. They presume that reality TV is actually â€Å"reality†, which it is not by any means. Teenagers do not have the understanding so they could and probably will fall subject to all the negative side it can entail. Some solutions to the problem may be for the parents to parent more and as they should. Parents should have the knowledge about what reality TV is and explain it to their children. Parents or society should not rely on reality TV or any genre of television to teach our children or ourselves for that matter. It will indefinitely lead us in the wrong direction. It is not to teach, but to entertain. If we have the knowledge about what reality TV actually is, in turn, we will be able to keep it in the context of entertainment and not reality. For those who don’t take it seriously it can provide entertainment for 30 minutes or so. But if taken as â€Å"reality†, it then has a danger of harming its audience with unrealistic expectations.

Michele de Montaigne on Making Decisions

Michel de Montaigne on Making Opinions In his three books of essays, Michel de Montaigne reflects upon his life to uncover some of the stable truths that will help to guide a man’s opinions. He claims that man is â€Å"miraculously vain, various and wavering. It is difficult to found a judgement [sic] on him which is steady and uniform† meaning that man and his opinions are unstable and fluid. It is possible for a reader of the essays to see how Montaigne employs his theories within his own life as he searches for the truth the natural world can provide. A flaw of humanity, according to Montaigne, is a lack of healthy doubt.Man takes facts and â€Å"ignore[s] the whats and expatiate[s] on the whys. † Instead of questioning facts from outside sources, man takes them as being the truth and blindly follows them. Humanity looks to tradition and history — the way things have always been done — and assumes them to be correct instead of being skeptical of the fluidity of events. In traditions of old, the â€Å"wavering† quality is found in Alexander the Great and causes him to change paths. He was considered â€Å" the most generous toward the vanquished† yet, unpredictably, had Betis brutally dismembered.Montaigne suggests that in order to enter the realm of well-considered judgment, one must first begin to reject commonly accepted traditions and historical ideas and instead look within for the beginnings of truth. Humanity, and everything in life is unstable and changing. Making sound judgments is difficult because the man and what is being judged are constantly in states of flux. Montaigne says to be â€Å"suspicious of the things discovered by our minds†¦of which we have abandoned Nature and her rules†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Through saying this, Montaigne declares that one needs to be faithful to his unchanging nature in order to find truth.As an example in his own life, Montaigne relates that he considers his actions a s â€Å"ruled by what I am and are in harmony with how I was made. † Montaigne believes that the first step to good judgment is finding stability in one’s self. Humans believe that experience is the key to understanding things. If one experiences, he can better form opinions. However, according to Montaigne, reasoning and judgment based on experience is just as unstable as reasoning based on thoughts. If experience could uncover the truth, why is it still that doctors all have different opinions?Years and years of experience do not improve the authority of the doctors because they still cannot come to a common judgment. What Montaigne appears to say is that the path to well-considered opinions comes from the search for truth in all aspects of life. And this search for truth requires man to take a skeptical view on everything and to turn away from the â€Å"truth† found in science and scholarship in favor of the power of nature—to look to what is unchangea ble, his own nature, rather than what is constantly in flux.Not only must man experience things, he must look at them skeptically and reject commonplace ideas and traditions to look within and to nature in order to uncover the truth in all things. Man needs to create an internal model of himself in order to find stability. In order to find certainty, one must discover stable truths, which can only happen through the questioning of everything and the doubting of all things, because this doubt will allow one to be constantly aware of the changing of the world.In Montaigne’s essays, it is possible to see the effects of this â€Å"healthy skepticism† in his experiences, especially in his continued reflection on life. Montaigne questions all things that can change in order to make sound judgments. He lives a life of skepticism and reflection because he sees it as a â€Å"mighty endeavor and a full one† and this reflection helps him to better consider his opinions. Ho wever, it is also possible to see that this search for truth is a lifelong process.Montaigne says clearly that â€Å"I speak as an ignorant questioning man: for solutions I purely and simply abide by the common lawful [Church] beliefs† and he makes no effort to prove that he has succeeded in finding pure stability of ideas in anything but Christian doctrine. Montaigne shows that skepticism must be a way of life in order for one to develop meaningful opinions. Bibliography de Montaigne, Michel, The Complete Essays. Translated by M. A. Screech. London, England: Penguin Books Ltd. , 1987. ——————————————– [ 1 ].Michel de Montaigne, â€Å"We Reach the Same Ends by Discrepant Means,† in The Complete Essays, trans. M. A. Screech (London, England: Penguin Books Ltd. , 1987), 5. [ 2 ]. Montaigne, â€Å"On the Lame,† 1161. [ 3 ]. Montaigne, â€Å"We Reach the Same End s by Discrepant Means,† 5-6. [ 4 ]. Montaigne, â€Å"On the Resemblance of Children to Their Fathers,† 866. [ 5 ]. Montaigne, â€Å"On Repenting,† 916. [ 6 ]. Montaigne, â€Å"On the Resemblance of Children to Their Fathers,† 871. [ 7 ]. Montaigne, â€Å"On Repenting,† 911. [ 8 ]. Montaigne, â€Å"On Three Kinds of Social Intercourse,† 923. [ 9 ]. Montaigne, â€Å"On Repenting,† 909.

Policy Engagement with Iran - 1715 Words

Engagement with Iran This essay recommends a policy of engagement reinforced by the key tenets of liberal theory for dealing with Iran. It will also discuss a principal weakness of engagement as well as demonstrate how Nixon’s foreign policy doctrine serves as a useful historical precedent for a policy of engagement. Engagement seeks to heighten shared interests through building diplomatic communications to achieve desired outcomes. Over the past three decades, contacts between the United States (U.S.) and Iranian diplomats are tactical not strategic. Often, negotiations involve undoing an injustice in which Iran bares significant responsibility, such as hostage holding. Still, history shows negotiated agreements between Iran and the United States are possible and the security interests of the two countries coincide. Iran has influence in oil markets, which gives the country an important tool with which to influence the behavior of consuming nations such as the U.S. As the Iranian economy continues to strain under mismanagement, the obsession for nuclear power, corruption, and crippling subsidies, the strategy of engagement provides incentives to build trade ties. The military and strategic threats Iran poses to the U.S. interests are serious and diverse. The threats will require determined efforts for engagement. History shows engagement and dà ©tente undermine governments more quickly than exclusion and enforcing an estrangement status. Iran is potentiallyShow MoreRelatedEssay about Iran Engagement Policy Option1643 Words   |  7 PagesThirty-four years ago, the Islamic Revolution changed not only the leadership of Iran but brought a complex and strained relationships with the United States. 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