Foucault Studies

2026 | Journal article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/fou.00032

This article employs Foucault’s concept of “sadomasochism” as a critical tool for rethinking the dynamics of power. In sadomasochistic scenes, the authority of the one occupying the dominant role is not absolute, but rather depends on the conditions, desires, and agency of the submissive partner. This interdependence destabilizes rigid, one-directional conceptions of power, revealing it as an unstable, performative process that is continually negotiated. The constant shifting of control between participants demonstrates that domination and submission are not fixed positions, but reversible configurations shaped by both tacit and explicit agreements. In this way, such practices challenge conventional power hierarchies and offer an analytical framework for understanding power as a two-way, ephemeral, and relational mechanism, rather than as an inherent or permanent attribute.

Foucault Studies _Sadomasochism in Foucaults Thought and Its Potential Critical Dimension”]