Governing Social Pathologies: From Poverty Governance to Disciplinary Practices in Prison

This chapter delves into the theoretical perspectives that explore “disciplining” as the key concept revealing the essence of the social control mechanism. After introducing the evolution of the conceptualization of deviant and pathological individuals, who are the primary targets of the disciplining model, the chapter explores the theoretical perspectives examining the subject of discipline and how the ideal individual to be disciplined has been historically portrayed in scientific literature. Additionally, it draws upon the literature on poverty governance to explore the imposition of a neoliberal-paternalist cultural model, designed to penalize marginalized segments of the population that do not conform to the rules of the dominant class. Furthermore, the chapter establishes a common thread between the interpretation of the penitentiary as a bureaucratic institution seeking to include individuals by imposing a specific social and cultural model and Wacquant's depiction of a neoliberal-paternalist regime of poverty governance. The chapter further advances the analysis by considering the agency of those in management positions and investigating both what and how governing authorities operate.