In this session we were asked to think of things in this day that could be compared to Panopticism. The way that smoking is controlled and regulated these days could be compared to panopticism. In this day there are signs and visual reminders of where you can and can not smoke. There are adverts on quitting smoking and telling you that it is bad. We do as we are told with these signs warning us, and we are scared incase we get caught and have to pay a fine. This is an example of 'automatic functioning power' (Foucault, 1977)
These signs are not the only warnings, there are cctv cameras and surveillance measures that are everywhere which makes the smoker feel like they are always being watched and having to hold on to the cigarette butt until if is safe to throw it on to the floor without being seen, I think this is an example of Panopticism.
Another example of panopticism and smoking is the pressure that peers who don't smoke judge. They see these anti-smoking campaigns on tv and magazines and are told it is bad, these peers then give a reminders and judgement to the smoker making them feel embarrassed to smoke in front of friends.
People are asked all the time in hospitals and the health service if they are a smoker? This is a question that you will have to answer several times in your life and even when you have quit you will be registered as an 'ex-smoker', this 'permanent registration' (Foucault,1977) and negative attention enforced by the government make the smoker feel guilty and feels pressured into quitting. From all this smokers have become a sub category of being human another example of this 'binary and branding' (Foucault,1977) is the ban on smoking in public places. The smokers have to smoke in an area made for them which makes a separation between 'smokers' and 'non-smokers'.
Bibliography
Book
Michel Foucault, (1977) Discipline and Punish, London, Penguin
Specially provided smoking booths, each furnished with a single chair, an ashtray and a water cooler, where you can smoke, alone, in full view of the passing fair.
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