Power Discourse and its Process in School Institution Case Study: Majid Stories by Hoshang Moradi Kermani

Power should not be reduced to one structure or single institution or merely its final forms i.e. state authority and law. Power is a process which flows in and influences all relations and the most subtle social interaction mechanisms. Power creates pleasure with the help of discourse and with lingual-epistemological formations creates thought systems and truth executing subjectification. Power discourse articulates its statements into the body of society forming a kind of monitoring hierarchy. In this process power is hidden completely but imposes upon the subjects the visibility principle and being watched. This paper using Michel Foucault's views on modern power and power discourse analyzes the process and the role of disciplinary power in school institution, which is a suitable place for applying disciplinary technology. Analyzing Majid Stories by Hoshang Moradi Kermani, it is argued how power discourse with its specific lingual strategies and by sorting statements and repetition and fixating them in a hierarchical structure (school principal, assistant principal, teacher, and Bibi, Majid’s grandma) articulates its statements and places math course and its semantically related issues in the center of disciplinary power discourse and not only pushes aside literature--Majid’s favorite course-- but also using the force of discourse makes Bibi and Majid to retreat. Disciplinary technology with visibility principle makes it possible to implement disciplinary punishment (abuse, punishment, and exam) in order to educate tame bodies; it also classifies students into weak, smart, bright, and stupid (hierarchical look). Of course authority of power discourse does not necessarily mean the absolute subjugation and submission of the subjects. Majid resists the pressure of discourse with different techniques and power discourse welcomes these resistances and refusals.