What is a Synopticon?

What is a Synopticon?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Synopticon may refer to: The concept of Surveillance of the few by the many, as identified by sociologist Thomas Mathiesen. Synopticon, a 1996 interactive art installation by electronic music band Coldcut.

Are we living in a post panoptic society?

To conclude, we unquestionably live in a post-panoptic society. While Foucault’s panopticon (1991) provides the base for later work, it does little to explain contemporary surveillance practices. This has been demonstrated through an examination of the development of post-panopticism.

What is synoptic surveillance?

3 Synoptic surveillance Describes the way in which the many now monitor the actions of the few. 4 Sous surveillance Another way of describing bottom-up surveillance- the many may uncover damaging information about the controllers and so control them through fear of exposure.

What is surveillant assemblage?

The surveillant assemblage is a concept meant to capture the convergence and integration of what were once discrete systems of surveillance, an integration facilitated by digitization.

How is panopticism used today?

The use of CCTV to conduct inspections on roads and buildings from a central location is panoptic. It results in people modifying their behavior to avoid punishment for going against the authorities. Social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, reinforce the ideas of panopticism.

Why does panoptic surveillance exist?

As a work of architecture, the panopticon allows a watchman to observe occupants without the occupants knowing whether or not they are being watched. As a metaphor, the panopticon was commandeered in the latter half of the 20th century as a way to trace the surveillance tendencies of disciplinarian societies.

What does synoptic mean in criminology?

An example of synoptic surveillance is where the public monitor each other, as with video cameras mounted on dash boards or cycle helmets to collect evidence in the event of accidents. This may warn other road users that their behaviour is being monitored and result in them exercising self-discipline.

What does synoptic mean in sociology?

1 : affording a general view of a whole. 2 : manifesting or characterized by comprehensiveness or breadth of view. 3 : presenting or taking the same or common view specifically, often capitalized : of or relating to the first three Gospels of the New Testament.

How does surveillant assemblage operate in criminal justice settings?

This assemblage operates by abstracting human bodies from their territorial settings and separating them into a series of discrete fl ows. These fl ows are then reassembled into distinct ‘data doubles’ which can be scrutinized and targeted for intervention.

What is a data double?

Each of us has a “data double,” a digital duplicate of our lives captured in data and spread across assemblages of information systems.

What did Foucault believe about the Panopticon?

French philosopher, Michel Foucault, was an outspoken critic of the panopticon. He argued the panopticon’s ultimate goal is to induce in the inmates a state of conscious visibility. This assures the automatic functioning of power. To him, this form of incarceration is a “cruel, ingenious cage”.