‘Technologies of the self’ – bridging academic theory and practice-based research through Creative Documentary enquiry

ABSTRACT

In this article, I argue that Foucault's ‘Technologies of the Self’ (1988) provides not only a theoretical framing of how human beings are made subjects, but also how identity and belonging are shaped by structures of power/knowledge and governmentality that impact upon migrant experiences in Glasgow. Citing examples from my documentary film ‘Atlas of Belonging’ (2018), exploring self-inscription and place-making within the Roma communities in Govanhill, I consider how ‘technologies of the self’ illuminates the ways that the ‘performances of everyday life’ [De Certeau, M. 1988. The Practice of Everyday Life. Berkeley and London: University of California Press.] are understood through the interrelated concepts of structure and agency. Intrinsic to this is how hierarchies of power/knowledge as well as governmental controls [Foucault, M. 1988. Technologies of the Self. A Seminar with Michel Foucault. Edited by L. Martin, H. Gutman, and P. Hutton. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press.]; [Gordon, C. 1991. “Governmental Rationality: An Iintroduction.” In The Foucault Effect: Studies in Governmentality, edited by G. Burchell, C. Gordon, and P. Miller. Chicago: Chicago University Press.] operate in respect of my own positioning (subjectivity) as a practice-based filmmaker [McIntyre, P. 2012. Creativity and Cultural Production: Issues for Media Practice. London: Palgrave Macmillan.]; [Batty, C., and S. Kerrigan, eds. 2018. Screen Production Research. Creative Practice as a Mode of Enquiry. Palgrave Macmillan. e-book.]; [Candy, L., and E. Edmonds. 2018. “Practice-Based Research in the Creative Arts. Foundations and Futures Ffrom the Front Line.” LEONARDO 5 (1): 63–69.]. Dividing the paper into three sections, using case histories from my Creative Documentary film, I explore how ‘technologies of the self’ illuminates the interconnected themes of; (1) selfhood and identity; (2) the practices of everyday life; (3) strategies and tactics deployed as acts of resistance by the Roma communities in Govanhill. ‘Technologies of the self’ can, therefore, be seen to bridge academic theory and creative enquiry by providing a critical lens to ‘think through’ the challenges of documentary representation and help ‘make sense’ of the polyphony of conflicting voices arising from this ‘contested’ space.

KEYWORDS:

• Technologies of the self
• Foucault
• practice-based research
• Creative Documentary Practice
• migrant communities

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Nicola Black is a BAFTA award-winning filmmaker with over twenty years experience in Broadcast Television. She is also a lecturer and practice-based researcher.

ORCID

Nicola Black http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5868-4383

Notes

1 Practice-based research is situated within conceptual frameworks incorporating creative practice into the research enquiry. This enables and enhances the knowledge revealed while interrogating the methodologies and formal practices that are characteristic of the discipline. As such the creative work is a form of research.

2 See also European Commission, ‘An EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies up to 2020’ and Public Consultation on the Evaluation of EU Framework. https://ec.europa.eu/info/consultations/public-consultation-evaluation-eu-framework-national-roma-integration-strategies-2020_en

3 For further discussion of the ideological implication of urban space as sites of socio/political struggle and resistance, see Debord 1967; Jameson 1990; Lefebvre 1991.