Panopticism

Institutions and Institutional Power

Discipline is not just punitive, but also productive
Michel Foucault (1926-1984)

The great confinement (Late 1960s) – ‘houses of correction’ curb unemployment and illness

Middle ages – village idiots - No division in society between the sane and insane.

people judeged a "socially useless" sent to "houses of correction" (Mad, criminals, drunks, vagabonds, diseased, single mothers)
- Forced into labor if not

the birth of the asylum – specialist institutions

Discipline was used as if inmates where children – good = rewarded / bad= punished – no physical violence

Pre modern – physical punishment control
Institutional experts used - legitimate the institution – knowledge – rationalizing institutions – effect human consciousness / alteration/correction

Institution aimed for person to begin to take responsibility for their own behaviors and conformity in society

Pre-modern punishment – acted as a warning to others of the power

"Disciplinary society"

Discipline is apparent in every aspect of our lives
 
Jeremy Bentham's design The Panopticon proposed 1791

Institution design – more so used for the concept of prisons or asylums.

Panopticon - A cell is open from the front and lit from the back.
Decided for perfect functionality

inmates cannot see one an other, only central watch tower and supervisors – he is always being watched = fear = control
- reformation – confine – study insane – supervise workers – make work

Surveillance of bodies and training of bodies

Office structure, one way mirror people can see out but not in – fear of being watched so they work – blinds to hide if someone is inside or not

 Makes people more productive – fear increases work

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Institutional Gaze

Modern discipline use of mental control - panopticism  - Understand/ thinks you are being watched.

Aspects in everyday life – cctv e.t.c

recording of behavior, we alter out actions to behave and conform – fear of punishment if not
 
e.g. attendance records – expectation to conform and be there – guilt if not/fear of punishment – monitoring – productivity increases due to fear/guilt knowing that you are monitored

records of employment – monitoring of emails and internet usage, clock in clock out cards

Disciplinary society creates 'docile bodies'
- Self monitoring
- Self-correcting
- Obedient bodies

- Docile bodies work more

soldier – docile body

Mass docility:
'The cult of health' – images and ‘guidelines’ humans use of what bodies should look like – begin to feel uncomforted and guilt for not being able to conform to ‘ideals’

Tory government in power – rising of retirement age – no reward for good health

TV – panopticon – told what to do and how we should act in society through programmes aim to unconsciously influence
 
Power is not something someone has
Power is a relationship between different individuals and groups, and only exists when it is being exercised.

Power will only exist while people allow it
'Where there is power, there is resistance.'

Key points

•Michel Foucault

•Panopticism as a form of discipline

•Techniques of the body

Docile Bodies