Panopticism

1) what is the major effect of Panopticism

The effect that the Panopticon has, is to produce a state of self regulated conscience through the automatic functioning of power due to understanding that one may be permanantly under inspection.

2) How does the architecture (institution) create and sustain a power relation independent of the person who exercises it?

The architecture of the institution sustains a relationship of power  because the inmate in the institution knows himself to be observed, even though he is unaware of when s/he is being observed. This means that the position of power is not simply applied to one person, it is applied to any observer, or operator of the system, the relationship of power is purely based on the prisoners knowledge that s/he is being observed without ever seeing the observer.

3) In what way is the panopticon efficient?

The panopticon is efficient because there is no need for the use of force, no need for the use of restraints, the system  works through the application of responsibility for their actions upon the inmates. The inmate is their own regulator because of subjection applied through a fictitious relation with the observer.

4) How does the Panopticism do the work of a naturalist (scientist)?

Because the inmates are unaware of when they are observed, the system leads to findings that are more accurate to reality when studying the inmates behaviours. The inmates are not influenced by interaction with others, and because they do not know when they are being watched they cannot subconsciously or consciously react to observation in an unnatural way, therefore the results are much more true.

5) In what way was the Panopticon a laboratory?

"But the Panopticon was also a laboratory; it could be used as a machine to carry out experiments, to alter behaviour, to train or correct individuals" This is true for similar reasons as that of the above question. Because the panopticon is a controlled environment its studies show the inmates in a separated and therefore uninfluenced state. There is also the advantage that the observer can be observed at any point by an exterior observer, so the work of the person in control of the machinery is also forced to exact there work correctly.

6) List the conditions in which Panopticism strengthens power.

The system of Panopticism strengthens power because...

The number of persons required to exercise power is reduced, more inmates can be controlled by a single guard than in a regular prison.

It is possible to see any offence occurring, from the central observation post and therefore in the case of an incident intervention can be exacted quickly.

Because the inmate is aware of the above point, the pressure to behave in the intended way is likely to remove the need for the exacting of power.

The panopticon uses the power of the mind to control actions, there is no need for power to be exacted at all as long as the idea is given to the inmate that they are being watched and that power may be exacted at a time of misbehaviour. The power situation is created within the mind of the inmate.

7) According to Julius, how is the panoptic principle particularly useful in a society made of private individuals and the state?

'In a society in which the principal elements are no longer the community and public life, but , on the one hand, private individuals and, on the other, the state, relations can be regulated only in a form that is the exact reverse of the spectacle: 'It was to the modern age, to the ever-growing influence of the state, to its ever more profound intervention in all the details and all the relations of  social life, that was reserved the task of increasing and perfecting its guarantees, by using and directing towards the great aim the building and distribution of buildings intended to observe a great multitude of men at the same time.' p69 - The state would be able to observe the masses without need for large scale of employes personally exacting their power, simply through observation posts.

8) Also according to Julius, rather than suppress the individual, what effect does the Panoptic principle have?

By becoming part of the panoptic mechanism the individual is moulded by the psychological pressure of power, into patterns of behaviour or rehabilitation that suit the state, rather than being forced, their behaviours are induced through self control.