XXIII Congreso Internacional sobre Diversidad en Organizaciones, Comunidades y Naciones

Resumen

This research explores the relationship of Foucault’s concepts of subjectification, power, and resistance in the field of Latin dance practice. In the western-centric society, pastoral power influences individuals to govern themselves to recreate the cultural social norm, that is the subject of subordination. The influence of pastoral power can be seen in daily discourses and practices women engage in, and the social pressure they feel about their identities. These factors influence women “externally” to limit their behaviors and to recreate the existing social norm. In addition, they also recreate existing social norms and existing hierarchy “internally” through what Foucault calls “practices of self”. Daily practices used in western-centric society to construct subjectivities, such as writing, often embodies Euro-centric ideologies. Reflecting these ideas, this study considers if Latin dance, a practice that embodies Afro-centric knowledge, may give opportunities for practitioners to question the pastoral power and furthermore lead them to negotiate alternative subjectivities through conducting fieldwork in dance communities in Tokyo and Mexico City. The fieldwork took place at dance communities from 2022 April until 2023 May with separate regular interview sessions. The results show that by embodying Afro-centric knowledge that is embedded in Latin dance opportunities are created to question the socio-cultural influence on behaviors and bodies though releasing the habitual strain of forming subjectivity, constant self-vigilance and self-surveillance imposed by the discourse of the dominant culture that favors unity, conformity and efficiency. Moreover, by practicing it in community they naturally embody the habitus of these communities.