The Disciplinary Mechanisms of Creating a Normal Object in the First Pahlavi Era Based on Foucaultian Idea of Governmentality

The formation of many modern institutions in the first Pahlavi era was not accidental, but, as it was expressed by Foucault, was derived from a particular political rationality with the aim of changing Iranians’ bio-politics. The article tries to answer “why and how did Reza Shah change the bi-politics?” and with the help of Foucaultian idea of Governmentality as the theoretical approach of research, this hypothesis is tested that, by constructing normal objects through the development of institutions such as the Unified Armed Forces, Civil Registration, and Hygiene as the techniques of governance emerged from a particular political rationality called “modernism,” the government tried to institutionalize the power relationship with in order to change Iranians’ bio-politics. The importance of the issue is to understand the philosophy behind the actions of governments and how to use the techniques that help them achieve their goals. Therefore, revealing the mechanisms and relationships of exercising domination and understanding the differences between governments in this regard are among the theoretical achievements of the research. Study of the documents and literature of the relevant period with a genealogical look that emphasizes on the of government’s micro-physics of power forms the method of the paper.