Foucault Panopticism

The Powers of Panopticism
Michel Foucault seeks throughout his work, Panopticism, to analyze how contemporary society is differently structured from the society that preceded us. He displays, through Jeremy Bentham’s architectural realization of the Panopticon, a prison for society and those who inhabit it. Also, there is the matter of constant surveillance, discipline and power in society. The Panopticon is not only a building where people are being governed, but also a laboratory-- “The Panopticon is a privileged place for experiments on men” (Foucault 219). A “privileged place” that gives a positive connotation to a residence that is otherwise considered a prison. The power of the Panopticon is derived not from the fact that it is implemented
Foucault argues that Panopticism can be seen anywhere: in hospitals, schools, etc. (Foucault). In one of the most time consuming parts of lives, like online social networking (Facebook), we can see how the Panopticon is implemented: our moves are definitely watched, in this case by our friends, who limit us on what we share and post in our profiles. If we post something illegal- we can get in trouble. We face consequences that five years ago would have been irrelevant. The “watchers” have become the business that we have interest in working for, the schools that we want to apply to, lawyers of the lawsuits that we may be facing. If we post something personal or offensive- a reputation or friendship might be on the line. Panopticism relates to everything. It does not need any special skills or tools to implement: “Any individual, taken at random, can operate the machine: in the absence of the director, his family, his friends, his visitors, even his servants” (Foucault 233). No matter what we do, we have culture and norms that always follow us and we cannot escape. We, as citizens, participate in the Panopticon: we govern and are