Analysis Of Michel Foucault s The History Of Sexuality...

Michel Foucault’s The History of Sexuality sheds light on the Victorian era and how the regulation of discourses on sex reveals that Victorian society is more perverse than contemporary society thinks of it. A similar approach can be applied to contemporary society and political discourse. During the 2016 presidential election, The Washington Post released a video of current President-elect Donald Trump bragging about what many consider to be sexually assaulting women. Recorded saying comments such as, â€Å"I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married†, this video has become a large part of the 2016 presidential election, attracting criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike (Farenthold). This video has brought to light a public discourse on the boundaries of sexual assault. Through Foucault’s discussion of the repressive hypothesis, it can be shown that, while the discourses on sex have been regulated throughout the pres idential election to gain power over Trump, the normalization of sexual assault in mainstream society means these discourses have had little effect. While Foucault analyzes the Victorian view of sexuality through the repressive hypothesis, the same can be done for a contemporary view of sexuality. There are specific concepts and ideas which are considered acceptable to the public sphere. Foucault says that this is a â€Å"policing of sex: that is, not the rigor of a taboo, but the necessity of regulating sex through useful and