PERSPECTIVES ON POWER IN PUBLIC MANAGEMENT: AN INTERPRETATION BASED ON FOUCAULTIAN PREMISES EVIDENCED IN SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES

Abstract

The article aimed to analyze how power relations influence public management from a Foucauldian perspective. In Foucault's view, biopower exercises control over social life through disciplinary and regulatory strategies. Focusing on the central issue of the influences of biopower and biopolitics. The study examines the relationship between public management and administrative practices in the formation of social norms and the validation of power structures. In this context, discourse is fundamental to the validation of administrative decisions that can maintain structural inequalities, even when presented as beneficial to society. A methodological approach consisting of a systematic qualitative literature review was used, focusing on articles indexed in the Web of Science database between 2020 and 2024. The data analysis highlights the influence of biopolitics on management practices, covering the normalization of behaviors and selective exclusions based on social and economic criteria. The article concludes that a critical understanding of the dynamics of biopower and biopolitics can foster more inclusive and equitable administrative practices, which are essential in a global context of health and social crises. The application of Foucault's concepts allows for a more detailed analysis of power dynamics, contributing to the promotion of ethical and equitable public management.