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Panopticon Discussion

Panopticon Discussion

Q What, exactly, makes the panopticon effective for penitentiaries? If the panopticon keeps behavior in check in prison, could it also get us to act more ethically in society if we knew we were under the threat of surveillance? In what ways does social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) function as a kind of virtual panopticon? How does the panopticon relate to mental coercion The Circle uses on Mae to police her to regulate her behavior?

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A guard can view every cell and inmate from the tower, but the convicts can't see into it. Prisoners will never know if they are being observed or not. It was a manifestation of the concept that power should be visible and verifiable in order for those convicts to feel motivated to control their own behaviour, which made the panopticon effective for penitentiaries.