The “Institutional Gaze” and Disciplining Subjects
Redline Training Program – The “Institutional Gaze” and Disciplining Subjects
Introduction
Southwestern is a sales and leadership company based in Nashville, Tennessee that provides summer work opportunities for university students across North America. Students sell educational products directly to families in their homes throughout the summer (SW Corporate). Redline is part of the Southwestern Company training and working with mostly students from the West Coast, including Canada, Washington, California and all over (What is Redline?). To work hard, study hard, and be coachable are three fundamental focuses for Reline 2012 training program. In this assignment, I would particularly examine how the company uses the norm of hard working to judge subjects and discipline them through Redline training program in terms of institutional gaze, discipline, visibility, and power relations.
“Institutional Gaze”: Surveillance and Judgment Norms that are established by the institution to train one how to act are ideals and standards that should be applicable to every member. As hard working is the norm of being an ideal salesperson, people who do not work hard could be considered ‘deviant’ subjects. According to Redline training manual, deviant is identified if one does not show products to 30 families every workday, work at least 75 hours a week (six-day in a row), memorize all sales presentation, fill in weekly reports, and, most importantly, follow the schedule (wake up at 6am, work from 8am to 9:30pm, get sleep before 11:00pm, etc.) (18, 20). For example, if the individual only works 60 hours in a week, he or she would be identified as a “deviant” or “imperfect” one.
Subjects are observed by the institutional gaze in both visible and invisible ways. The subject phones the manager every single night when he or she gets home, so the manager knows not only how the subject is doing during the daytime. The supervision from the manager is visible and direct. Besides
Introduction
Southwestern is a sales and leadership company based in Nashville, Tennessee that provides summer work opportunities for university students across North America. Students sell educational products directly to families in their homes throughout the summer (SW Corporate). Redline is part of the Southwestern Company training and working with mostly students from the West Coast, including Canada, Washington, California and all over (What is Redline?). To work hard, study hard, and be coachable are three fundamental focuses for Reline 2012 training program. In this assignment, I would particularly examine how the company uses the norm of hard working to judge subjects and discipline them through Redline training program in terms of institutional gaze, discipline, visibility, and power relations.
“Institutional Gaze”: Surveillance and Judgment Norms that are established by the institution to train one how to act are ideals and standards that should be applicable to every member. As hard working is the norm of being an ideal salesperson, people who do not work hard could be considered ‘deviant’ subjects. According to Redline training manual, deviant is identified if one does not show products to 30 families every workday, work at least 75 hours a week (six-day in a row), memorize all sales presentation, fill in weekly reports, and, most importantly, follow the schedule (wake up at 6am, work from 8am to 9:30pm, get sleep before 11:00pm, etc.) (18, 20). For example, if the individual only works 60 hours in a week, he or she would be identified as a “deviant” or “imperfect” one.
Subjects are observed by the institutional gaze in both visible and invisible ways. The subject phones the manager every single night when he or she gets home, so the manager knows not only how the subject is doing during the daytime. The supervision from the manager is visible and direct. Besides
References: 7. Foucault , Michel. “The Meants of Correct Training” and “The Panopticism”in Paul Rabinowed. The Foucault Reader, New York: Pantheon, 1984. 188-213 Print. 12. Tagg, John. “A Means of Surveillance”, The Burden of Representation: Essays on Photographies and Histories. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1988.70-102 Print