Sunday 28 November 2010
Task One: Panopticism
The social network site ‘Facebook’ could be considered a modern mechanism of Panopticism. It is an online hub where people can post almost anything about themselves, or others for that matter. According to Foucault in the Panopticon ‘the inmate is seen but he does not see; he is the object of information, never a subject in communication.’ (Foucault, 1977, pg 65). Another aspect of Facebook panopticism is the constant updating of statuses, which users think are being viewed by everyone in their friend list, when perhaps not a single person has seen them. This can be better described by Foucault as the intention ‘to induce in the inmate a state of conscious and permanent visibility’ (Foucault, 1977, pg 65). Another way of phrasing this is the Facebook user ‘never knows weather he is being looked at, at any one moment, but he must be sure that he may always be so’ (Foucault, 1977, pg 65) and must therefore act accordingly.
When we ‘friend’ someone we make it ‘possible to see constantly and to recognize instantly’ (Foucault, 1977, pg 64). With this we also start to regulate each other and have the ability to report any content that we may feel is inappropriate, or as Foucault wrote ‘the panopticon may even provide an apparatus for supervising its own mechanisms’. (Foucault, 1977, pg 67).
Self-regulation is also a key Foucauldian theory present in the Facebook environment. Users are able to post any status they may wish, however most will choose selectively and only post things they feel will be appreciated or ‘liked’ by fellow users. With this they fall into the ‘docile bodies’ category becoming obedient and self-correcting.
[Foucault, M. 1977 'Discipline and Punish']
When we ‘friend’ someone we make it ‘possible to see constantly and to recognize instantly’ (Foucault, 1977, pg 64). With this we also start to regulate each other and have the ability to report any content that we may feel is inappropriate, or as Foucault wrote ‘the panopticon may even provide an apparatus for supervising its own mechanisms’. (Foucault, 1977, pg 67).
Self-regulation is also a key Foucauldian theory present in the Facebook environment. Users are able to post any status they may wish, however most will choose selectively and only post things they feel will be appreciated or ‘liked’ by fellow users. With this they fall into the ‘docile bodies’ category becoming obedient and self-correcting.
[Foucault, M. 1977 'Discipline and Punish']
Friday 5 November 2010
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