Panopticism by Michel Foucault states that with the use of architecture and geometry, a ‘Panopticon’ can create in visitors a sense of being watched, making a change to the behavior of an individual subject to observation and leading him to act in a disciplined manner. Bentham’s ‘Panopticon’ is the architectural model of this theory. His ‘Panopticon’ is based on an annular building at the periphery containing cell divisions, with a central tower at the center with two windows that make it able to see all the building’s cells and the reflection of every individual in the cell. There are two windows in the cell, one at the outer side of the building reflecting light, and the other at the inner side, making the person’s shadow visible to the central
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He describes these features as enclosed, segmented, cage-like or small-theater-like places (200) such as those in schools, prisons, and hospitals, with windows and a visible symbol or architecture of surveillance, where an individual is observable at every point. He argues that these features, such as the Bentham’s ‘Panopticon’, produces “homogeneous effects of power” by making someone who “is subjected to a field of visibility, and [who] knows it, assume responsibility for the constraints of power” (202). This awareness of being observed at all times creates order, obedience, morality and increase of power of the individuals watching while simultaneously increasing the production, performance, and effectiveness of the observed, leading the object under surveillance to submit to discipline, without any use of force (202-206). Panopticism has a wide array of functions to be used for. It can be used for carrying experiments on individuals, including pedagogical experiments, alter behavior, train or correct individuals (203), and even as an apparatus for supervising and spying employers such as doctors, nurses, teachers, and foremen to judge them and apply actions the supervisor sees fit (204). In essence, a Panopticism mechanism can be used in any direction or purpose, either for good or bad
He describes these features as enclosed, segmented, cage-like or small-theater-like places (200) such as those in schools, prisons, and hospitals, with windows and a visible symbol or architecture of surveillance, where an individual is observable at every point. He argues that these features, such as the Bentham’s ‘Panopticon’, produces “homogeneous effects of power” by making someone who “is subjected to a field of visibility, and [who] knows it, assume responsibility for the constraints of power” (202). This awareness of being observed at all times creates order, obedience, morality and increase of power of the individuals watching while simultaneously increasing the production, performance, and effectiveness of the observed, leading the object under surveillance to submit to discipline, without any use of force (202-206). Panopticism has a wide array of functions to be used for. It can be used for carrying experiments on individuals, including pedagogical experiments, alter behavior, train or correct individuals (203), and even as an apparatus for supervising and spying employers such as doctors, nurses, teachers, and foremen to judge them and apply actions the supervisor sees fit (204). In essence, a Panopticism mechanism can be used in any direction or purpose, either for good or bad