This article written by Foucault entitled, 'Panopticism' discusses his social theory about a ruling and monitoring of power. This theory is described to position a tower in the centre that watches and acts as a tool to refrain those around the tower for behaving inappropriately as those watching from the tower have the ruling power of discipline and punishment. Foucault also mentions that even though there is said to be someone watching from the tower the glass is one way where those outside the tower, of which could be criminals, are not certain if they are being watched at every moment, forcing them to behave in a particular manner. The effect of the Panopticon is 'to induce in the inmate a state of conscious and permanent visibility that assures the automatic functioning of power (Foucault 1977, p 201)
This theory was used to manage society during the seventeenth century at the time of the plague to minimise the spread and human interaction on the streets. (Foucault 1977, p 195). He also mentions that this design is suitable for experimenting on men, defining power relations in society, to supervise workers, to make beggars work, in the classroom. A note also can be taken that not only can this theory cement power however it also guides production to ensure that workers are in fact working and not loitering around.
Bibliography
Foucault, M., 1977, ‘Panopticism’ in Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison, translated by Alan Sheridan, Penguin, London, pp 195-228.
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