User:Lucia Dossin/Reading Writing Research Methodologies/Assignment 2

Created 16:22, 26 September 2013‎

Punish the body (17/18th centuries) -> Reform the body (modern age): efficiency as aim, docility as means

Panopticum: internalization of discipline – you are possibly being watched

Morals reformed—health preserved—industry invigorated—instruction diffused—public burthens lightened—Economy seated, as it were, upon a rock—the gordian knot of the poor-law not cut, but untied—all by a simple idea in Architecture! —Jeremy Bentham[3]

^ Jeremy Bentham. Panopticon. In Božovič 1995, pp. 29–95. (source: Wikipedia)

Disciplinary systems: surveillance, discipline, ranking and self-regulation. Bad side: we are 'cogs in a machine'. Good side: systems of health care and education, for example, are introduced which increase our efficiency but also improve our well being.

Facebook – 'report this'.

We live in Public – documentary about dot-com entrepreneur Josh Harris and his project/experiment called Pseudo.

Pseudo was a website which streamed live audio and video programs. In the turn of the millennium, a house in NYC was inhabited by participants who were carefully selected, according to their psychological profile. Everything that happened there was being streamed online. They shouldn't have to pay for their food or for their stay. In return, they should 'only be themselves' and agree that the rights of all material produced there would belong to Josh Harris.

This structure is/was used in Reality TV programs. The winner becomes a celebrity.

15 minutes of fame – everyday.

Facebook - 'mass celebrity environment'. Everything is free, you can play around with your friends, show who you are, tell what you are thinking, where you are, how you feel. In return, all information (data in context) is owned by Facebook.