Institutions and Institutional Power

Panopticism is a social theory, originally developed by French philosopher Michel Foucault in his book Discipline and Punish. The "panopticon" refers to an experimental laboratory of power in which behaviour could be modified, and Foucault viewed the panopticon as a symbol of the repressive, disciplinary society of surveillance. (wikipedia, panopticism)

The structure of a Panopticon is basically how jail is designed now a days. I have never questioned the structure of jail or other similar institution where panoptictism concerns the systematic ordering and controlling of human activities. There are always cells for individuals and a centre point which everyone could see and be examined by whereas each individual did not have the ability to communicated with others and the only vision is the centre examination place. This system is believed to be effectively and efficiently modify someone's behaviour. Surprisingly, from the lecture, we know that school is exactly the same. For example lectures are panopticons, students are in cells and everyone is focus on the lecturer who is trying to change our point of view of certain things. Personally I think there are more disadvantages than advantages. This way of teaching not only take away students' freedom but allow the ability to interact and communication with peers. They could only absorb the knowledge from the lecturer but lack of self interpretation. This is therefore discourage in many school nowadays, for instant college is now encouraging  'The flipped classroom' in stead of traditional teaching system where students could have more self-directed time and very depend on whether students could behaved on their own.

Panoptictism in nowadays included surveillance in stores or on road. We are monitored by different institutions that although we have freedom to do anything but certainly at the same time we are being watched to behave and constantly living in a prison. People like going online to commit crimes due to the relatively more freedom they could get through network but some places like China like to control everything the citizens do include social network. 

Internet censorship in China is extreme due to a wide variety of laws and administrative regulations. In accordance with these laws, more than sixty in the future Internet regulations have been made by the government of China, which have been implemented by provincial branches of state-owned ISPs, companies, and organization. The apparatus of China's Internet control is considered more extensive and more advanced than in any other country in the world. The governmental authorities not only block website content but also monitor the Internet access of individuals; such measures have attracted the derisive nickname "The Great Firewall of China."(wikipedia Internet censorship in China ) This might be hugely related to the communist background of China. In 1998 the Communist Party of China feared the China Democracy Party (CDP) would breed a powerful new network that the party elites might not be able to control.The CDP was immediately banned followed by arrests and imprisonment. This is also a form of Panoptictism and I very hugely disagree on treating their own citizens as prisoners. I am very interested in this topic and there might be a chance on writing my COP3 essay on this topic.