Sunday 21 November 2010

Monday 15 November 2010

Task 1 - Panopticism in modern society

Panopticism is a social theory developed by French philosopher Michel Foucault and is based around the relationship between power, knowledge and the body. One element of how this theory could be applied to today’s society is through the subject of security in public places.
“The plague that gave rise to disciplinary projects” (Foucault in Thomas, J, 2000: 62)
The high profile terrorist activities of recent times have captured global attention upon their occurrence due to their high impact and explicitly visual nature. These terrible acts have doubled as a plague that has rapidly escalated security measures, providing governments with all the reason they need to implement such procedures.
“Two ways of exercising power over men, of controlling their relations, of separating out their dangerous mixtures” (Foucault in Thomas, J, 2000: 62)
Introducing such procedures allows governments to analyse each and every docile body, with a possibility to build a profile detailing a vast amount of personal information. What information is or isn’t collected is not known. We are not supposed to know. But we are told for our own safety that this is the way things have to be done.
“He is seen, but he does not see; he is the object of information, never a subject in communication” (Foucault in Thomas, J, 2000: 65)
Increased security and hi-tech surveillance are sold to us as appropriate steps to take in order to navigate any future threat to our society. Many of these security measures are now becoming so ingrained in everyday life that we it could be said we are oblivious to them and we do not question their existence. Infact it is probably quite the opposite, particularly at airports where the security is much more visible and noticeable. We tend to be very aware of our surroundings and subsequently are self-regulatory to how we feel we should act in this situation
“This surveillance is based upon a system of permanent registration” (Foucault in Thomas, J, 2000: 61)
Through a variety of measures such as closed circuit television, body scanners and numerous methods of identification we could be easily located and detected if the need was there. The government promotes theses processes as to be of benefit to us and for the sole purpose of maintaining our personal security, which could well be truthful, but at what stage will there be a cut-off point? When do these panoptic ways start to become an invasion of our privacy?
“It does not matter what motive animates him” (Foucault in Thomas, J, 2000: 66)
A strange and uncomfortable factor of this situation is that essentially we are all treated the same. Almost as if we are guilty until proven innocent. An everyday commuter or holidaymaker subjected to the same regulations as a would-be-terrorist.