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From: "Clare O'Farrell" <c.ofarrell@xxxxxxxxxx>
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Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:00:01 +1000
Thomas says
Surveillance is not aimed to coerce obedience to rules
but, instead, to refine more subtle and subliminal means of control
People are not imprisoned into the web -- they are seduced into it
for "fun" or required into it for "work".
In that sense, the new found interest in Foucault's analysis of
the Panopticon is behind the times. It might be helpful to
trace out the next shifts that have occurred, since Foucault died.
Foucault had already realised the limitations of the disciplinary
model -this is why he formulated his ideas on governmentality. He
makes a comment about this somewhere. Governmentality amongst other
things concerns how people's freedoms are manipulated so that they go
along willingly with mechanisms that control their behaviour. It is a
very complex interplay of freedom and 'guidance'. The 1st volume of
The History of Sexuality also talks about creating a pleasure and
desire to 'confess' which is another idea which could be used here.
Somebody could do a really nice study on ICTs and governmentality and
hidden panopticisms.
--
regards
Clare
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Clare O'Farrell
email: c.ofarrell@xxxxxxxxxx
website:
http://www.michel-foucault.com
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