What is the panopticon’s purpose? Was the design ever realized? Do you believe that the panopticon would be effective for social institutions? Why or why not?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The panopticon was developed by 18th-century reformer Jeremy Bentham and is an architectural design that could be used for prisons, schools, factories, workhouses, and any other social institutions that required the management of large groups of people by a small number of individuals with authority over them. While Bentham’s vision was essentially a benign one, the panopticon became a motif for punitive prison regimes, and although it is often written that Bentham’s model was never realized, several prisons have been continued to be constructed according to the broad principles of panopticism. In brief, Bentham’s design consisted of a circular building with individual cells built around its entire circumference, and a central watchtower in which the activities of the prisoners could be constantly watched. A system of lighting that illuminated the cells but kept the inspection tower in darkness made it possible for just one person to monitor many inmates, each of whom knew they were under surveillance, but did not know exactly when. They were therefore obliged to behave as if they were being monitored at all times, and conformity and passivity were assured. The mental state of being seen without being able to see the watcher induced a fear that eliminated the need for visible deterrents or overt force. Students’ response on the effectiveness would vary depending on their analysis of the purpose of the panopticon.