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Despite the omnipresence of facemasks in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, recent studies on their sociopolitical aspects remain insufficient. This article conducts a genealogical study that investigates the emergence of two differing masking strategies in two epidemic events in Chinese history. First, during the Manchurian plague 1910/11, it shows how the germ theory and historical anecdotes made anti-plague masks thinkable and practicable as a solution not only for airborne contagion but also for the biopolitical problem of ‘unhygienic’ population. In the second part, the analytical focus is shifted to the emergence of collective mask-wearing practices during SARS 2002/03 from the vantage point of subjectification. Facemasks then became a symbol of care in the neoliberal regime of responsibilization. This article concludes by arguing for a rethinking of facemasks as actants who actively participate in the constitution of the world we share.

There has been a mounting research output on the social dimensions of the datafication, fragmentation and platformisation of infrastructures. This paper conceptually excavates the logics of "platform care" as a continuation of historically invisibilised reproductive labour. Although affective labour provided in private homes cannot be fully hierarchised, sold, nor algorithmically sorted, digital platforms provide short-term techno-fixes to fill in "care gaps", acting as technocapitalist assemblages governing invisibility. There has been a mounting research output on the social dimensions of the datafication, fragmentation and platformisation of infrastructures. This paper conceptually excavates the logics of 'platform care' as a continuation of historically invisibilised reproductive labour. Although affective labour provided in private homes cannot be fully hierarchised, sold, nor algorithmically sorted, digital platforms provide short-term techno-fixes to fill in "care gaps", acting as technocapitalist assemblages governing invisibility.

The Presbyterian missions and medical missions in 19th-century Taiwan were successful enterprises that over time developed into the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, which stands today as the largest Christian minority church in this country. Through a Foucauldian biopolitical perspective, this paper analyzes the roles of female missionaries in the management of bodies and the subjective experiences of both foreign and Native women in the missions. Going beyond descriptive narratives and control-versus-agency reductionist frames, the paper points the polyvalent semantics of such roles and experiences. It also explores the complex relations between the women’s biopolitical functions, the PCT’s industrial type of biopolitical apparatus, and the biopolitical regimes of the late Qing dynasty and the Japanese colonial government in the early 20th century. The conclusions remark on the analytical relevance of biopolitical perspectives in the study of gender and body-related phenomena in Christian missions and Christian religions beyond Western societies.

Gestada en el giro del siglo XIX al XX en el Reino Unido, la eugenesia fue trascendiendo sus fronteras de manera inusitada. Su diversidad se hizo particularmente notoria durante la década de 1930, cuando la expansión en Sudamérica dejó entrever precisos programas de integración a redes internacionales. En ese marco se inscribe el impacto ejercido por la biotipología italiana y por la biocracia francesa, corrientes que alimentaron la eugenesia latina, al aportar modelos normativos y crear con el “hombre nuevo” un estereotipo ejemplar llamado a regenerar las sociedades modernas. Las teorías de sus principales impulsores, Nicola Pende y Alexis Carrel, recorrieron la región a través de la difusión del instituto biotipológico y los estudios que allí se llevaban a cabo, en un caso, y por medio del enorme suceso alcanzado por un libro, en el otro. Se abordan aquí aspectos de la recepción de ambas teorías en la creación del Ministerio de Educación y Salud de Río de Janeiro que debía plasmar material y simbólicamente las ideas de la eugenesia y un estereotipo del hombre brasileño., After its advent in the United Kingdom at the turn of the 20th Century, Eugenics started to transcend its borders in an unusual way. Its diversity became particularly noticeable during the 1930s when its expansion in South America revealed precise programs for integration into international networks. The impact exerted by Italian Biotypology and French Biocracy is inscribed in this framework, movements that fed Latin American Eugenics, providing normative models, and creating through the “new man” an exemplary stereotype for regenerating modern societies. The theories of its main promoters, Nicola Pende and Alexis Carrel, were disseminated in the region through biotypological institutes and the studies which they carried out, on the one hand, and through the unusual popularity reached by a book, on the other. So, this paper studies some aspects of the reception of both theories in the creation of the Ministry of Education and Health of Rio de Janeiro, which should embody, materially and symbolically, the ideas of Eugenics and a stereotype of the Brazilian man., Depois de gestada na passagem do século XIX para o século XX no Reino Unido, a eugenia foi transcendendo suas fronteiras de forma incomum. Sua diversidade tornou-se particularmente notável na década de 1930, quando a expansão na América do Sul revelou programas precisos de integração em redes internacionais. Nesse quadro está inscrito o impacto exercido pela biotipologia italiana e pela biocracia francesa, correntes que alimentaram a eugenia latina, fornecendo modelos normativos e criando com o “novo homem” um estereótipo exemplar chamado a regenerar as sociedades modernas. As teorias de seus principais impulsores, Nicola Pende e Alexis Carrel, percorreram a região através da difusão do instituto biotipológico e os estudos que ali eram realizados, em um caso, e por meio do sucesso inusitado alcançado por um libro, no outro. São abordados aqui aspectos da recepção de ambas as teorias na criação do Ministério da Educação e Saúde do Rio de Janeiro, que deveria plasmar material e simbolicamente as ideias da eugenia e um estereótipo do homem brasileiro., Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación

En España, anualmente unas 340.000 mujeres dan a luz y se convierten en protagonistas de un proceso que las llevará a ejercer la maternidad en su sentido más amplio. Durante los primeros años, la lactancia emerge de forma central entre las prácticas maternas, ya que conecta con las formas de alimentar la nueva vida. De este modo, en el siguiente artículo nos acercamos al estudio de las vivencias de las mujeres alrededor de la lactancia. Qué expectativas tienen sobre la práctica lactante, qué posibilidades han vivido o qué cambios han transitado son cuestiones que nos han llevado a profundizar en este tema. Así pues, tras el objetivo inicial de conocer las experiencias de las mujeres que han sido madres, presentamos los resultados de una investigación de corte cualitativo que surge de la respuesta a un cuestionario abierto a 72 mujeres que habían dado a luz en los últimos cinco años. Entre los hallazgos, hemos podido observar que la lactancia es una gran preocupación para las mujeres, lo que nos ha llevado a preguntarnos si se ha producido o no una redefinición social de la lactancia materna. Concluimos que hay un juego de cruces entre las expectativas iniciales, los marcos disciplinarios que se configuran alrededor de la lactancia y las posibilidades de acción de las mujeres, de manera que es necesario repensar cómo se ofrece apoyo, acompañamiento e información por parte de las personas profesionales, y también un mejor conocimiento y concienciación en los círculos cercanos familiares y de la sociedad en general. A Espanya, anualment unes 340.000 dones donen a llum i es converteixen en protagonistes d'un procés que les portarà a exercir la maternitat en el seu sentit més ampli. Durant els primers anys, la lactància emergeix de manera central entre les pràctiques maternes, ja que connecta amb les maneres d'alimentar la nova vida. D'aquesta manera, en l'article següent ens acostem a l'estudi de les vivències de les dones al voltant de la lactància. Quines expectatives tenen sobre la pràctica lactant, quines possibilitats han viscut o quins canvis han experimentat són qüestions que ens han portat a aprofundir en aquest tema. Així doncs, després de l'objectiu inicial de conèixer les experiències de les dones que han estat mares, presentem els resultats d'una recerca de tall qualitatiu que sorgeix de la resposta a un qüestionari obert a 72 dones que havien donat a llum en els últims cinc anys. Entre aquests resultats, hem pogut observar que la lactància és una gran preocupació per a les dones, la qual cosa ens ha portat a preguntar-nos si s'ha produït o no una redefinició social de la lactància materna. Concloem que hi ha un joc d'encreuaments entre les expectatives inicials, els marcs disciplinaris que es configuren al voltant de la lactància i les possibilitats d'acció de les dones, de manera que cal repensar com s'ofereix suport, acompanyament i informació per part de les persones professionals, i també un millor coneixement i conscienciació en els cercles propers familiars i de la societat en general. Every year in Spain, some 340,000 women give birth, becoming the protagonists of a process that will lead them to exercise motherhood in its broadest sense. During the first years, breastfeeding emerges as a central part of maternal practices as it connects with the ways of nourishing the new life. Thus, in the following article we approach the study of women's experiences of breastfeeding. What expectations they have about breastfeeding, what possibilities they have experienced or what changes they have undergone are questions that have led us to delve deeper into this subject. Thus, after the initial objective of finding out about the experiences of women who have been mothers, we present the results of a qualitative research study based on the response to an open questionnaire to 72 women who had given birth in the last 5 years. Among the findings we have been able to observe how breastfeeding is a major concern for women, leading us to ask ourselves whether or not there has been a social redefinition of breastfeeding. We conclude that there is an interplay between initial expectations, the disciplinary frameworks that are configured around breastfeeding and women's possibilities for action, and that it is necessary to rethink how support, accompaniment and information are offered by professionals, as well as a better knowledge and awareness on the part of close family circles and society in general.

This article builds upon the premise that the Home Office holds the most significant power over constructing policy truthsabout unaccompanied children in the UK. This discursive creation of policy truthsconveys a rationality of governing that is convenedinto a technology of government, shaping the actions of those contracted by the Home Office to implement policy towards unaccompanied children. This paper critically analyses Home Office policy statements and guidance to uncover the ways in which unaccompanied children are constructed as a policy problem in the UK. The analysis reveals that unaccompanied children are problematised under four main frames: the delegitimization of children arriving irregularly, the construction of unaccompanied children as both a vulnerable burden and paradoxically as ‘unchildlike’, “unscrupulous” and ‘bogus’. Finally, unaccompanied children are discursively produced as ‘migrants first, children second’, severely implicating their access to safeguarding upon arrival into the UK.

Several studies about the theoretical relationship between Marx and Foucault agree that their possible closeness rest on the correspondence between the concepts of “real subsumption of labour” and “power technologies”. This paper explores that common theoretical field identifying a specific proximity between formal subsumption of labour and disciplinary technologies, as well as between real subsumption of labour and biopolitical technologies. But also observing the limits of these similarities to the extent that those concepts belong to two divergent sociologies. For this aim some necessary accuracies are made about the concepts of subsumption of labour and power technologies, then their specific relationships are examined, and finally some of general sociological grounds of both theories are discussed. Diversos estudios sobre la relación teórica entre Marx y Foucault coinciden en que su posible cercanía radica en la correspondencia entre los conceptos de ‘subsunción real del trabajo’ y ‘tecnologías disciplinarias’. Este artículo explora este campo teórico común identificando una proximidad específica entre subsunción formal del trabajo y tecnologías disciplinarias, así como entre subsunción real del trabajo y tecnologías biopolíticas. Pero observando también los límites de esas semejanzas, en la medida en que aquellos conceptos pertenecen a dos sociologías divergentes. Con este objetivo, se hacen algunas precisiones necesarias sobre los conceptos de subsunción del trabajo y tecnologías de poder, luego se examinan sus relaciones específicas y, finalmente, se discuten algunos de los fundamentos sociológicos generales de ambas teorías.

Funder: Christ Church College, Oxford, Funder: School of Geography and the Environment, Oxford, The economic implications of biopolitics – or the administration, regulation, and control of life – have received significant attention in recent geographical and cognate scholarship. An emerging theme of inquiry, largely focused on the Global North, makes contributions to specifying ‘lively capital’, defined here as bodily value in motion – predicated on accumulation from other‐than‐human life. In this paper, we argue that the biopolitical process of bringing life into the ambit of capital works in cultural, political, and economic registers and not just through singular logics of the economic, as extant accounts have implied. The rendition of life into capital through modes of biopower is not a universal process. It has diverging trajectories that, in postcolonial contexts, involve hybrids between biopolitical and vernacular practices. This argument is made through an account of bovine biopolitics in urban Delhi with specific reference to the city's ‘cattle problem’ involving ‘surplus’ animals. It unfolds in four distinct parts. First, drawing on archival work, we trace colonial histories of cattle improvement to reveal how the category of ‘surplus’ was invented. Second, we deploy more‐than‐human ethnographies of free‐ranging animals in Delhi to foreground how ‘surplus’ cattle – which we conceptualise as ‘living waste’ – are driven to feed on waste as a result of gentrification and the enclosure of erstwhile grazing grounds. Third, we turn to gaushalas (cow shelters) in Delhi to show how ‘surplus’ cattle from the city's streets are rehomed and managed. Fourth, we examine the uneven practices of care afforded to different bovines based on logics associated with right‐wing Hindutva nationalism. Our account provincialises lively capital by opening up more nuanced and situated understandings of the relations between biopolitics and capitalism, attentive to divergences from models situated in Western modernity.

International audience; This paper seeks to examine the COVID-19 crisis in Russia, France, Germany, and the UK, as covered by the Russian state media outlet RT (formerly Russia Today). I view the RT coverage through the prism of biopolitics and critical discourse analysis (CDA) to demonstrate multiple discrepancies in its “post-truth” knowledge production strategies. I argue that these strategies aim to expose the hybrid and controversial nature of biopolitical governance in Western democracies during the COVID-19 pandemic as they struggle to strike a balance between imposing social restrictions and safeguarding public health. I also show how the (post)liberal biopolitical debate on personal responsibility and state resilience in times of emergency could be applied by authoritarian regimes for self-description.