An analysis of the propaganda documentaries during Nazi period within the framwork of Michel Foucault's biopower concept

iiiABSTRACTAN ANALYSIS OF THE PROPAGANDA DOCUMENTARIESDURING NAZI PERIOD WITHIN THE FRAMWORK OFMICHEL FOUCAULT?S BIOPOWER CONCEPTHakan YILMAZDepartment Of SociologyAfyonkarahisar Kocatepe University The Institute Of Social SciencesJune 2007Advisor: Assistant Prof. Dr. Şefik DenizThroughout the history, humanbody is the key factor within political, social,cultural and economical structures. Every community has its own moral definitions ofbody design and physical education. The structure of body differs from one society toanother or even within the same society. These differences are based on both biologicaland socio-political characteristics. Body characteristics such as structure, movementsand posture constitute a sign associated with the social and political structure of acommunity. Body, with its structure aforementioned, a reason and a tool for politicalideologies to form goverment potency.This study initiates to reveal how biopower hypothesis put forward by MichelFoucault was developed and transformed into racial regimes -especially Nazism- whileit also explains how Nazism took the advantage of propaganda documentaries to achivegoverment potency. In this regard, a search of written resources was carried out andLeni Riefenstahl?s ?Triumph of the Will? and ?Olympia, episodes I and II? wereanalysed within the framework of biopower hypothesis.