This entry provides an overview of biopolitics in its multiple usages. Typically associated with the work of French philosopher Michel Foucault, biopolitics is a theoretical framework that has been used to make sense of dynamic relationships between the intertwined domains of “life” and “politics.” Foucault's conception of biopolitics has been criticized for its elision of gender, race, and colonialism, yet contemporary scholars have generatively responded to this concern. Biopolitics serves as a useful lens in sociology for considering topics such as governance, information systems, health, death, and environmentalism.