Task one

Panopticism

Choose an example of one aspect of contemporary culture that is, in your opinion, Panoptic.

Hospitals may be seen as Panoptic. “Each street is placed under the authority of a syndic, who keeps it under surveillance; if he leaves the street he will be condemned to death” (Foucault in Thomas, 2000, p.61) This is much like being in hospital where the beds are in rows beside each other, with a curtain to separate them and a nurse or doctor who will come around and check on the patients and 'keep it under surveillance'. The nurse or doctor has the authority. The patients are observed regularly creating a 'self regulating' behaviour, the feeling of being watched constantly which changes ones usual behaviour.

This is how it was in the Panopticon where the prisoners where each separated by large walls so they could not see each other but be seen by the guard who would observe from the center of the tower. The hospital is a panopticon. The prisoners were conditioned into thinking they were constantly being watched therefore self regulating their behaviour. “Hence the major effect of the panopticon: To induce in the inmate a state of conscious and permanent visibility that assures the automatic functioning of power” (Foucault in Thomas, 2000, p.65) assuring this power over the patient is happening automatically and therefore does not have to be exercised.

“The surveillance is based on a system of permanent registration: reports from the syndics to the intendants, from the intendants to the magistrates or the mayor.” (Foucault in Thomas, 2000, p61) Much like in hospital how the nurse will have all your details, medications, symptoms etc or file, usually at the end oh the patients bed. These details will normally be passed up to a doctor and then perhaps further up to a surgeon. “This document bears 'the name, age, sex of everyone, notwithstanding his conditions” (Foucault in Thomas, 2000, p61)

These are personal files about a patient but the patient themselves will not be able to see the documents, the files are the patients subjectivity taken from them so they become an object. The doctor will then willingly submit to power because you take their judgment.

“The magistrates have complete control over medical treatment” (Foucault in Thomas, 2000, p.61) very much like in hospital the doctor has control over one's treatment. This shows the Foucauldian concept 'Docile bodies'.

Quotes taken from;
Thomas, J. (2000) 'Reading images', NY, Palgrave Macmillan.