Task one

Panopticism is the idea that we are constantly being watched or surveilled. The most obvious one in context of todays society is cctv. Where a camera is working or not we are paranoid that someone of higher authority is watching us making us behave as we are brainwashed and taught to do in society. Another example of panopticism is when we park our cars we're worried about getting a ticket or getting clamped. All it takes is one sign saying restricted parking or no parking between 8-5 etc. Not just this but when we park in car parks as a society we are constantly having to check the time to make sure our parking ticket hasn't run out. But even if it does run out there's nothing to say we will instantly get a ticket or in any kind of trouble but the threat is there and thats what keeps us in check. From the time of the plague people have been under surveillance, 'Each street is placed under the authority of a syndic, who keeps it under surveillance.' For my example of panopicism the 'syndic' is a traffic warden who keeps us under threat. Michel Foucault points out that we almost become the traffic warden because we make sure ourselves that we aren't late back to our vehicle because we don't want to get into trouble, 'He simultaneously plays both roles; he becomes the principle of his own subjection.' By simply placing signs saying this is restricted parking etc means we behave ourselves and probably don't park there even though there's noone actually stopping us just the paranoid threat. This threat can easily be related to prisoners of a panopticon prison. Each prisoner can be seen at any time be a guard in the guard tower. The guard can see the prisoner but the prisoner cant see the guard which means the prisoner is constantly paranoid of his actions because he doesn't know if he's being watched, 'he is seen but he does not see.' As the guard tower could be watching the prisoner the traffic warden could be watching our car when it's left, the threat has been set by the post saying the restrictions.