Michel Foucault and Theorizations of Inequality

The chapter introduces the theories of Michel Foucault with a special focus on social inequality. Although usually not perceived as a thinker of social inequality, this chapter argues that many aspects of his work are vital for understanding social inequality—especially the mechanisms of its reproduction. Knowledge, authorization, domination and power are important components for theorizing how social hierarchies are maintained not only through subjectivation but also through practices that govern populations and their ‘mentality’—security ‘dispositifs’ and incentive systems—within the framework of (liberal) governmentality. Social inequality cannot be thought of without the intricacies of power, the different modes of domination and the order of knowledge. This chapter introduces Foucault’s work into these three core dimensions that shape and enable the reproduction of social inequality. To this end, it attempts to clarify why social inequality theories based on social structure may benefit from Foucault’s perspective to understand social hierarchies and the maintenance of social order. The reproduction of social inequalities is not only the result of symbolic violence and capital distribution but also of authorization, epistemological order, domination and power. Furthermore, the chapter argues why domination and power should be distinguished and how the cross-pollination between the analyses of social structure and Foucault’s understanding of knowledge, domination and power might benefit both.