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Foucault: The Power Of Inmates In The Panopticon

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Foucault: The Power Of Inmates In The Panopticon
Power is automatized through the panopticon. Inmates in the panopticon are under the impression that they are either constantly being watched or that they could be watched at any time and therefore are constantly under the gaze of the tower. The constant figure of surveillance through the central tower forces the inmate to observe his own actions as though he were being watched. This self-surveillance where the inmate “becomes a principle of their own subjection” (Foucault, 1977:203) means that the inmate plays the role of observer and observed (Foucault, 1977) by forcing the actions of an observed individual upon himself. By this Foucault believes he is more likely to comply with the rules of a prison alone as the inmate believes they are
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