Michel Foucault discusses four sources of knowledge and power that have contributed to the construct of sexuality.Foucault explored four factors that have played a significant role in shaping our understanding of sexuality. One of these factors is the “hysterization of women’s bodies.” This concept has led to the perception of women as highly sexual beings and as a source of medical knowledge about human reproduction. Another factor is the “pedagogization of children’s sexuality,” which views children as having a strong sexual nature. However, society sees this heightened sexuality in children as something dangerous that needs to be monitored and controlled.
The “socialization of procreative behavior” is another factor that influences our understanding of sexuality. It emphasizes the importance of reproduction to society, which in turn leads to the negative perception of non-procreative sex as unproductive. The final factor is the “psychiatrization of perverse pleasure,” which focuses on identifying sexual disorders. While the intention behind this psychiatrization was to control perversions, Foucault argued that the power dynamics and pleasure associated with it actually contribute to a higher desire for and frequency of sexual perversions.