Current examples of Panopticism:
The European Union is developing a 21st century panopticon, a beast surveillance system that critics describe as “Orwellian,” “sinister,” and “positively chilling,” that would collate data from numerous sources, including surveillance cameras and personal computers, in order to detect “abnormal behavior” across the entire continent.
In a broader sense, this is part of the move towards creating a pan-European federal police force, where information and powers are shared as part of a centralised system. It is also a giant step towards the creation of a European CIA tasked not with keeping tabs on foreign enemies, but spying on its own population.
In a broader sense, this is part of the move towards creating a pan-European federal police force, where information and powers are shared as part of a centralised system. It is also a giant step towards the creation of a European CIA tasked not with keeping tabs on foreign enemies, but spying on its own population.
The surveillance system, known as Project Indect, promises to collect information by way of “continuous monitoring” of “web sites, discussion forums, usenet groups, file servers, p2p networks [and] individual computer systems”. It will also use CCTV feeds and other surveillance methods to develop models of “suspicious behavior” by analyzing the pitch of people’s voices (suggesting that private conversations will be recorded) as well as “the way their bodies move”. (http://www.wariscrime.com)
Choose an example of one aspect of contemporary culture that is, in your opinion, panoptic. Write an explanation of this, in approximately 100-200 words, employing key Foucauldian language, such as 'Docile Bodies' or 'self-regulation, and using not less than 5 quotes from the text 'Panopticism' in Thomas, J. (2000) 'Reading Images', NY, Palgrave McMillan.
Social networks as Panopticism
There was a time when creating your own personal website took some form of specialist knowledge of creating html or java script. Technology has now enabled those without such abilities to create their own free social network through organised online communities such as Facebook and MySpace.
Although MySpace and Facebook have always been free the sites subsist on the revenue generated from small banner advertisements. Companies such as Apple and Coca Cola pour money into such communities to infiltrate the docile teenage bodies using such sites.
There is a certain Panoptic nature in which people use these sites in a confessional nature to talk about their daily lives and beliefs and as a function of this concern community members are encouraged to observe one another towards ensuring self discipline. They accept that their friends and family are acting as surveillance to their constant posts and mostly self regulate themselves accordingly. More importantly most recognise that there is a wider hierarchical power structure and that employers, law enforcers and the social communities own rule enforcement have the power to view their site. Facebook for example asks for you to declare that the images you upload are of a non explicit nature, and such requests Foucault would state 'is a major effect of the Panopticon: to induce in the inmate a state of conscious and permanent visibility that assures the automatic functioning of power. Facebook regulates its sites by even removing discourse of a racist, prejudice or copyright behaviour which reminds the 'Facebooker' that he is visible but unverifiable in that he never knows when he is being looked at. 'It is an important mechanism, for it automises and disindividualises power' (Foucault, in Thomas, 2000:p82)
