Summary Of Panopticism By Foucault

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In the world we live in today, many people have had a feeling inside that somebody’s watching them. Whether it is an individual, the government or even something paranormal, everybody gets that unsubtle feeling that something bad is going to happen to them. In Michel Foucault’s essay, Panopticism, Foucault makes the claim that no matter where you turn, someone or something may be watching you. By doing this, Foucault also makes the claim that this would be the only way to keep society in tact. Now panopticism is not an actual building with guards watching over society, but it’s a diagram of hierarchy reduced to fit today’s society. Foucault explains in his essay that the diagram perfects the operation of power by increasing
the amount of individuals who can be controlled or watched over, and decreasing the individuals who operate it. Foucault argues that the more advanced or sophisticated societies are more likely have a sound and controlled society. The argument that Foucault makes here explains liberty and rights individuals have today. In todays world, Foucault assumes that all of society is free and have the rights to control how society works, however this is not true because of the idea that society is always being watched over by an upper power. Unfortunately in today’s society, there are many instances where the blame of a crime is put on somebody for reason of race.
The sad truth is, there are many stereotypes out there that interpret the African American community as criminals and always looking for trouble. For this instance, African Americans may feel like they are always being watched on every move they make, whether they make a mistake or not, the authorities will be right there to take them away in handcuffs. In the 1998 film, Bulworth, race is portrayed as one of the biggest problems America faces today. About three-quarters through the film, Bulworth meets a group of kids who deal drugs for an upper power. Bulworth then convinces them to get ice cream with him and get away from the acts what they were doing for a while. After getting ice cream, Bulworth walks away and the kids then stay to hang out in front of the ice cream store. After Bulworth leaves, a police car then rolls up to confront the kids, who are both white, the kids and one of the police officers exchange cruel gestures towards one another (racial and personal obscenities, and ice cream being pushed into one of the kids faces). Bulworth then sees what is going on and steps in to protect the kids, because of this, the cops then pull out their weapons and aim at Bulworth, not knowing he is the senator of the state. Eventually one of the officers realizes who Bulworth is and continue on their
way. The kids in front of the ice cream shop were doing nothing wrong, no probable cause is evident; but because of the area they live in and their race, the police officers always believe that all African Americans in that community are always doing something wrong. If these kids were white, the police car would have kept on going on their way. In the movie, the kids and the cops interact with one another as if this confrontation wasn’t a first time ordeal, as if the cops are always watching these kids. The cops may know what these kids do on the streets, but instead of getting the kids away from the dangers of drug dealing, these cops almost instigate the problem by edging the kids on. By doing this, the kids can become more violent and angry with the rest of society. These cops will continue to watch over the kids and the rest of these kids until they commit their first murder so they can take them away or worse dead caused by someone else’s violence, but whenever these instances occur, it is much too late.