How did Michel Foucault use the terms normal and deviant in his study of subjectivation?

In his study of subjectivation, Michel Foucault examined how individuals are classified and shaped into specific types of "subjects," including those labeled as "normal" and "deviant". He argued that these categories are not natural or essential truths but are instead products of historically specific power dynamics.1

Foucault utilized the concept of normalization to explain how social institutions and the human sciences—such as psychology, criminology, and medicine—define "normal" or "rational" behavior. By establishing these standards, society can identify and label behavior that falls outside these norms as "deviant," "abnormal," or "irrational". This classification serves as a rationale for discipline, coercion, or rehabilitation, allowing institutions to exert power over individuals under the guise of scientific objectivity and humane concern.12

Through his genealogical method, Foucault sought to expose the artificiality of the dividing line between the "normal" and the "deviant". He demonstrated that these categories are constructed through the entanglement of power and knowledge (pouvoir-savoir), effectively naturalizing certain identities—such as the "criminal" or the "homosexual"—to maintain social order and control.1