The panopticon is a building designed in such a way that a supervisor can watch over people without those people knowing that they are seen. Control can be maintained because people are constantly aware of the fact that they can be under surveillance. The design of the panopticon is rather complex. There is a central observation tower that allows the supervisor to see all the people in their cells. Though the people in each cell are isolated from one another, the supervisor in the tower can always see them. For the workers this means they have no privacy, and no choice but to perform their work, since they can always be watched.
Bentham’s idea can be applied to any situation. Next to its applicability to work environments like a factory, the design can be used for schools, hospitals, poorhouses and prisons. The design of some of today’s prisons is believed to have been inspired by the panopticon. Some examples are the Pentonville Prison in North London, the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia and the Presidio Modelo in Cuba (see picture).
Sources:
Clegg, S., Kornberger, M., & Pitsis, T. (2005). Making sense of management in Managing and Organizations – An introduction to theory and practice (1st edition, pp. 3-39). London: SAGE Publications
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/undergraduate/modules/hi371/term2/seminar5/panopticon.jpg (drawing panopticon)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Presidio-modelo2.JPG (photo Presidio Modelo)
