Caring Potentials in the Shadows of Power, Correction, and Discipline - Forensic Psychiatric Care in the Light of the Work of Michel Foucault
"The aim of this article is to shed light on contemporary forensic
psychiatric care through a philosophical examination of the empirical
results from two lifeworld phenomenological studies from the perspective
of patients and carers, by using the French philosopher Michel
Foucault's historical–philosophical work. Both empirical studies were
conducted in a forensic psychiatric setting. The essential results of
the two empirical studies were reexamined in a phenomenological meaning
analysis to form a new general structure in accordance with the
methodological principles of Reflective Lifeworld Research. This general
structure shows how the caring on the forensic psychiatric wards
appears to be contradictory, in that it is characterized by an
unreflective (non-)caring attitude and contributes to an inconsistent
and insecure existence. The caring appears to have a corrective approach
and thus lacks a clear caring structure, a basic caring approach that
patients in forensic psychiatric services have a great need of. To gain a
greater understanding of forensic psychiatric caring, the new empirical
results were further examined in the light of Foucault's
historical–philosophical work. The philosophical examination is
presented in terms of the three meaning constituents: Caring as
correction and discipline, The existence of power, and Structures and
culture in care. The philosophical examination illustrates new meaning
nuances of the corrective and disciplinary nature of forensic
psychiatric care, its power, and how this is materialized in caring, and
what this does to the patients. The examination reveals embedded
difficulties in forensic psychiatric care and highlights a need to
revisit the aim of such care."
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