Michel Foucault's The Panopticon

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Michel Foucault focused most of his time researching varying topics such as sexuality, madness, illness, and knowledge. He battled the argument between the obedient and the disobedient. One of his books tried to explain the relationship between he guard and the prisoner. Through his development of the Panopticon he explained the idea that prisoners were less likely to act out if they understood there was a person of authority watching them. This supervisor or guard of authority knew the rules and was in charge of the punishment. The contrast from guard to prisoner is already great; but when the element lack of sight is enhance the fear of the prisoner is increased. Fear, as in most governments, rules as an organizing and detaining element of the rebellious. Fear and the visual component lead to enforced rules to be rarely broken. …show more content…
The tower represent the literal tower at the center of the development. As the plan radiates from the center control point as does the level of controls. The guards are allocated at the center as the prisoners are along the perimeter. The prisoners are each given the same amount of space and type of room layout, avoiding unfair accommodations. The circular plan also controls the distance of sight afforded to the prisoner, limiting their understanding of the development as a whole. This suggests another tactic of