Question

The concept of ________ is meant to address those practices of Western nation-states developed in the nineteenth century that aimed to create an ordered, prosperous society through exercising power by counting people, measuring their physical attributes, and shaping their reproductive behaviors

Answer 1

Biopolitics is a concept that describes the power exercised by modern states over their populations through various regulatory practices, policies, and national identity cultivation. It encompasses the state's mechanisms to manage and control people's bodies and behaviors, which was conceptualized by French philosopher Michel Foucault.

Step-by-step explanation:

The concept you are asking about is referred to as biopolitics, coined by French philosopher Michel Foucault. It is related to the exercise of biopower by modern states, which includes the regulation of citizens' bodies through various practices and policies. Biopolitics is demonstrated in numerous ways, including population policies like the one-child policy in China, or the ways citizens are tracked and categorized through identification systems. Benedict Anderson also describes the cultivation of national identity through symbols and media as related to state control and the fostering of patriotism, which is an aspect of biopolitics manifesting beyond government.

Biopolitics can also be viewed in the marginalization of certain groups and increased state power, exercised through surveillance and control over various aspects of citizens' lives, like wellness, sexuality, and movement. Thus, biopolitics encompasses a variety of mechanisms used by the state to manage its population in the pursuit of creating a stable and prosperous society.