http://sangbleu.com/2012/10/31/the-panopticon/
“The Panopticon funtions spontaneously and with out noise. Thanks to its mechanisms of observation, it acts directly on the minds of the individuals without any physical instrument other than architecture and geometry, it is able to penetrate into men’s behaviour.”
-Michel Foucault
Michel Foucault studies panopticism architecturally through the Panopticon. The Panopticon is a 360 degree prison with optimal surveillance which is monitored centrally through a tower it was built by Jeremy Bentham in 1787. Power is applied to panopticism because the prisons architecture the shape applies power over the institution. Benthan designed panoptic buildings intended to be schools, prisons and hospitals. These institutions applied power through the idea that visibility and surveillance mentally trains people to behave. Foucalut describes that the ability to induce the inmate a state of consciousness and permanent visibility is what insures the function of power in the institution. Three functions of the Panopticon are: To enclose, to deprive of light, and to hide. The structure of the prison trains the individual to conduct oneself. We are automatically disciplining ourselves in spaces like these. In the Birth of the Prison, Foucault states, “the enclosed segmented space, observed at every point in which the idividuals are inserted in a fixed place, in which the slightest movements are supervised in which all events are recorded” (197). In finding oneself in the Panopticon it doesn’t matter who exercises the power because there is no physical force or threat being exercised on someone, rather the power is used as a discipline. For example, “The inmates should be a machine for creating and sustaining a power situation of which themselves the bearers.” (201). Power should be visible and unverifiable. Therefore the visibility aspect comes from the tower itself and the unverifiable is the inmate will not know when he/she is directly being watched.
In modern society we learn to self discipline ourselves. Panopticism mentally trains us to behave. A modern example aside from prisons is social networking. Facebook, sometimes people hesitate to put things in their status’ or upload pictures because they think of who is capable of viewing their pictures/ status’, this consciousness creates discipline and power over oneself. However, there are also instances where people suffer consequences for the things they expose on social media. Sometimes we hesitate to put pictures up or say things because we know that anyone can ultimately see what we say even if we think they can’t see because our profile is blocked, this is the same as the tower, we never know when we are being watched. We often hear to be careful of what we say or post because employers can see that and it can jeopardize our chances of getting jobs, this also creates power and discipline.
When I think of panopticism I also think of the class room we are in. it is enclosed, deprived of light, and not so hidden but away from the center. The professor conducting the class can ultimately also see everyone in the classroom through its periphery, therefore the professor is the one in the tower although, if the student is paying attention we know we are being looked at.
“The Panopticon funtions spontaneously and with out noise. Thanks to its mechanisms of observation, it acts directly on the minds of the individuals without any physical instrument other than architecture and geometry, it is able to penetrate into men’s behaviour.”
-Michel Foucault
Michel Foucault studies panopticism architecturally through the Panopticon. The Panopticon is a 360 degree prison with optimal surveillance which is monitored centrally through a tower it was built by Jeremy Bentham in 1787. Power is applied to panopticism because the prisons architecture the shape applies power over the institution. Benthan designed panoptic buildings intended to be schools, prisons and hospitals. These institutions applied power through the idea that visibility and surveillance mentally trains people to behave. Foucalut describes that the ability to induce the inmate a state of consciousness and permanent visibility is what insures the function of power in the institution. Three functions of the Panopticon are: To enclose, to deprive of light, and to hide. The structure of the prison trains the individual to conduct oneself. We are automatically disciplining ourselves in spaces like these. In the Birth of the Prison, Foucault states, “the enclosed segmented space, observed at every point in which the idividuals are inserted in a fixed place, in which the slightest movements are supervised in which all events are recorded” (197). In finding oneself in the Panopticon it doesn’t matter who exercises the power because there is no physical force or threat being exercised on someone, rather the power is used as a discipline. For example, “The inmates should be a machine for creating and sustaining a power situation of which themselves the bearers.” (201). Power should be visible and unverifiable. Therefore the visibility aspect comes from the tower itself and the unverifiable is the inmate will not know when he/she is directly being watched.
In modern society we learn to self discipline ourselves. Panopticism mentally trains us to behave. A modern example aside from prisons is social networking. Facebook, sometimes people hesitate to put things in their status’ or upload pictures because they think of who is capable of viewing their pictures/ status’, this consciousness creates discipline and power over oneself. However, there are also instances where people suffer consequences for the things they expose on social media. Sometimes we hesitate to put pictures up or say things because we know that anyone can ultimately see what we say even if we think they can’t see because our profile is blocked, this is the same as the tower, we never know when we are being watched. We often hear to be careful of what we say or post because employers can see that and it can jeopardize our chances of getting jobs, this also creates power and discipline.
When I think of panopticism I also think of the class room we are in. it is enclosed, deprived of light, and not so hidden but away from the center. The professor conducting the class can ultimately also see everyone in the classroom through its periphery, therefore the professor is the one in the tower although, if the student is paying attention we know we are being looked at.