A late self regulatory post

So I thought I better do this post about panopticism, Ive already covered most of what I will say in this post in previous posts but I'll be linking it into the Foucault text here.

Panopticism is in fact a social theory of structure set by an institution onto the reccessive hegemonic in society. This structure subtly enforces regulation of the self onto the said individual in order to control him with the idea he "might be" being watched. This theory was first explained by Michel Foucault in his book "Discipline and punish." Panopticism is said to be a control mechanism put in place by those in power in order to monitor members of a society's productive tendencies in terms of work and the economic system. This system was compared to a prison called the Panopticon - where prisoners were not put in cells with bars but merely in a stripped down room, in solitary where they could all be watched by one guard. The trick was, they could not see the guard so the prisoners never knew when they were being watched and therfor never tried to escape. This was the dawning of self regulation and brought about a new method in which to control. Making the subject control his own physical body with the idea that they might be being watched at all times.

Panopticism exists in alot of places in contemporary society, for example, Google earth, facebook and gaming networks is panopticism in your living room. I've got a really good example of panopticism to which I am subject and alos perpetrator twice a week, for 8 hours per day. That is, Sainsburys and more specifically, the relationship between the checkout staff, management and security. Im sure the other staff around the shop floor get panoptically mithered as well but this is from my personal perspective.

The cashier at self service is meant to stand and watch customers - if a customer needs help they rely on us to sort it out. The checkout area is arranged so all customers at any one time can be seen putting their food through. This layout with cctv also installed strategically on the ceiling, enables security to avidly watch customers, "this enclosed, segmented space, observed at every point, in which the individuals are inserted in a fixed place" .... enable the checkout area to run "smoothly" without the risk of theft. In essence the checkout area runs itsself in terms of security because customers are very aware of the fact the could be being watched.

Here is where I am subject to panopticism; The example is as follows, I am at the checkouts "doing" my job, My manager approaches and tells me to move a queue of people from the belted tills onto self checkout. Queues at sainsburys are a travesty in management's eyes - and I have seen the managers watching staff (or the "checkout situation") on cctv. So, the same layout which forces customers to hypnotically self regulate, also means I get watched, reviewed, compared and then instructed as a by product of being watched, meaning whenever the manager is near - staff begin working harder! As Foucault would say, This makes me an " ...Object of information" rather than a "Subject in communication"

This power structure can also be seen affecting management when their management visit the store (like they did last week) the Panoptic nature of those in charge goes insane "the gaze is alert everywhere". Bearing all this in mind, am I really being dramatic when I say working at sainsburys is "like" being in prison? In terms of comparison I don't think I am because as Foucault said: ""no more bars, no more chains, no more heavy locks..." Non of this is needed to control contemporary society. Control has become subtle and to do with the mind - all that is needed is the subject's own knowledge that he might be being watched - or "randomly assessed" as sainsburys supervisors actually call it.

I feel this quote quite deeply on every shift at Sainey's: "visibility is a trap."