Abstract
This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Foucault defines care of the self as activities which "permit individuals to effect by their own means or with the help of others a certain number of operations on their own bodies and souls, thoughts, conduct, and way of being, so as to transform themselves in order to attain a certain state of happiness, purity, wisdom perfection, or immortality" ( Foucault, 1988). This paper will explore how the care of the self impacts on fitness to practice in dental education. Fitness to practice refers to a student's competence, including clinical skills and professionalism as well as the ability to reflect on their own health and capabilities. This paper will examine how the dominant discourse of reflective practice influences a student's care of the self using techniques of writing and verbalisation, and how the development of competent graduates is tied to Foucault's work on disciplinary power, panopticism and governmentality. The role of pastoral power and confession, and the relationship of educators and students will also be explored.
Highlights
Foucault defines care of the self as activities which "permit individuals to effect by their own means or with the help of others a certain number of operations on their own bodies and souls, thoughts, conduct, and way of being, so as to transform themselves in order to attain a certain state of happiness, purity, wisdom perfection, or immortality" (Foucault, 1988)
In his archaeological exploration of technologies of the self, Foucault identified that engaging in reflective practice was perceived as a positive activity (Foucault, 1988), an ethical manifestation of the care of the self
Letters written by Marcus Aurelius demonstrate how the details of everyday life were written in an examination of the conscience (Foucault, 1988)
Summary
Foucault defines care of the self as activities which "permit individuals to effect by their own means or with the help of others a certain number of operations on their own bodies and souls, thoughts, conduct, and way of being, so as to transform themselves in order to attain a certain state of happiness, purity, wisdom perfection, or immortality" (Foucault, 1988). In his archaeological exploration of technologies of the self, Foucault identified that engaging in reflective practice was perceived as a positive activity (Foucault, 1988), an ethical manifestation of the care of the self. These include activities such as reflective writing, blogs, and self-assessment of practical experiences.
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