“Ah, Ah, Ah, You’ve Got to Stop That!”: A Foucauldian Analysis of Disciplinary Power Over Resident Sexual Expression in Alberta’s Continuing Care Homes

In this paper, I outline empirical findings from a study of resident sexual expression in continuing care homes in Alberta, Canada, and discuss them with reference to Michel Foucault’s thinking about disciplinary power. The data come from a two-phase exploratory qualitative study of sexual expression in Alberta’s continuing care homes. Phase 1 included semi-structured interviews with care home managers and individuals whom they consult (n = 28). Phase 2 included interviews with care home residents and family members (n = 20). I re-analyzed this (Alzheimer 2018)–2019 data through a Foucauldian lens. I discuss (1) the surveillance of residents in care homes and the normalization of certain forms of sexual expression through the processes of examination and judgment; (2) perceptions of deviance in resident sexual expression; and (3) forms of punishment for sexual expression. Continuing care homes can serve as sites for the policing of resident sexuality and producing normative prescriptions. The norms privileged heterosexual relationships, activities between married monogamous couples, and the expressions of individuals with full cognitive capacity. Staff and family members jointly participated in monitoring sexual expression and enforcing these expectations. There is a need for care standards at the provincial level to recognize sexual expression as a human right, an activity of daily living, and an element of human flourishing across the lifespan. Such standards should be accompanied by site-level policies and related training and education for healthcare staff.