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The Effect Of Making A Person Visible And Isolated

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In Michel Foucault’s essay, Panopticism, the effects of making a person visible and isolated are explained. Before Foucault addresses his theory, Panopticism, he first explains Jeremy Bentham’s architectural structure, the Panopticon. Foucault explains the Panopticon structure is “at the periphery, an annular building; at the center, a tower” (184). Essentially, this means that there is a larger tower in the center, which is completed surrounded by individual cells. These cells have both a window facing the tower and one facing away; this allows light to shine through the windows making the prisoner completely visible. Combined with making a prisoner visible, some type of superior must be in the tower periodically to ensure the feeling of …show more content…

In conjunction self-policing, the panoptic structure and Panopticism are useful for “drawing up differences” between people (190). Due to the fact that each of the prisoners are enclosed in their own isolated cell, their different tempers, aptitudes, and several other personality traits can be analyzed without the fear of imitation from viewing other inmates behaving differently. I will be utilizing Foucault’s theory of Panopticism to analyze my experiences in a nursing home that has the same structural design as panoptic structure. The nursing home that I am reflecting my experience from resembles a panoptic structure because there is a central nurse’s station surrounded by individual resident rooms and a common gathering space. The nurse’s station and the necessary staff rooms are at the center of the unit, similar to the central tower. This is the command center for information about the resident’s behavior and any change in their medical or temperamental status. Ultimately, this is where the power source is situated. Conversely, this makes the resident’s rooms similar to cells and the residents inside, comparable to prisoners. In each resident room there is almost everything the resident would need such as a bathroom, clothes, and various personal items. Like a prisoner in the panoptic structure mentioned earlier, the

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