Portfolio task 1 :Panopticism

Choose an example of one aspect of contemporary culture that is, in your opinion, panoptic. Write an explanation of this, in approximately 200-300 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.

In this task, an undeniable example of "Panopticism" is CCTV and surveillance.

CCTV and surveillance is a safegaurd, washed into our minds that it is designed to help us and keep us safe, the argument swings either way and yes it can solve many problems but also causes problems. Like Foucault says in his book on panopticism ‘visibility is a trap’ and this is exactly true. We are lead to believe that we are being kept safe and secure by these electronic devices, but it is undeniable fact that how much do we need need to be monitored, the fact, city centre's have as much CCTV as high security prisons, and how honest is the honest man, does all this surveillance provide ammunition for Voyeurism and other acts of scrutiny,

Plus, what effect does this have on society, i mean if we are all being watched do we refrain from acting freely as is our right to act like a human, essentially we have become prisoners ike the prisoner in Bentham’s panoptic houses of correction.

Foucault goes on to say that ‘Bentham laid down the principle that power should be visible and unverifiable. this is true with modern CCTV, how do we know if anyone is watching? how can we be certain, but at the same time the CCTV strikes fear and makes us obeidient, and surely this makes us question our "freedom".



overall Panopticism is highly apparent in our modern society, we are constantly under surveillance. we live in a world that George Orwell once feared. Foucault is correct "Power has its principle not so much in a person as in a certain concentrated distribution of bodies, surfaces, lights, gazes; in an arrangement whose internal mechanisms produce the relation in which individuals are caught up"

These objects of technology could become more powerful than we are led to believe.