Foucault You!

"Power is not an institution, and not a structure; neither is it a certain strength we are endowed with; it is the name that one attributes to a complex strategical situation in a particular society" (Michel Foucault)

"It doesn't matter whether it comes in by cable, telephone lines, computer or satellite. Everyone's going to have to deal with Disney" (Michael Eisner, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Disney)

I have long been an admirer of Michel Foucault and have taught classes on his theories recently in my own sociology/criminology class. What worries me about society however, is how much we are willing to legitimately buy into power and to actively become part of its own surveillance systems. Foucault argued that we are ALL part of power creation, it does not come from 'above' but from our own relationships with others, the way in which we interact and use language with each other. Power comes therefore, from a number of systems, not just the one.

The example I always think of is the excellent work of Shearing and Stenning (1987) whereupon they showed Foucault's notions of power structures through the use of 'Disney World' (However, this will apply to Disney Land, Euro Disney, etc) as it offers 'instrumental discipline' as the public are 'guided' through the 'magical' world of Disney. It borders on the creepy as the public are led through informal power structures in order to make sure they 'comply' with the rules and regulations of the site.

Indeed, Disney offer this control through clearly marked parking spaces (E.g. Donald Duck 1), 'ideal' photo opportunities to stand and take your photograph with the family, reminded at all points to hold children whilst on moving vehicles like that train that takes you from the car park to the main site, pathways around the area to control and guide those who walk around it. You are even reminded by grinning idiots to always 'have a nice day' when being served, who serve the purpose of reminding you to be happy and to enjoy the experience. Once rides have been on, food purchased and photo's taken, you can see carefully orchestrated parades by Disney 'characters' who wave, smile and beckon you to 'be part of the dream.' From the moment you enter the park, this Disney society controls your every movement and monitors through surveillance, your actions, whilst at the same time, taking away the undesirables.

I was reminded by one of my students that a mother recently took her two daughters to Euro Disney in Paris in order to dress as a princess whilst they were there. Having little money, the mother had bought princess dresses for her daughters from a fancy dress shop. She was told, on entrance to the park, that the daughters would have to take off their dresses as they conflict with the Disney image and may therefore confuse people! It is systems of informal control and surveillance that create this delicate balance for Disney, as it seeks to craft its own image within a miniature society so that 'undesirables' (In this case the daughters wearing non-Disney dresses) can be monitored and asked to conform to an acceptable standard.

What is amazing about all of this (and as Foucault stated), we WILLINGLY buy into this idea, we literally buy the tickets and then allow our own sense of control to be removed so that we can be monitored, can live and breathe Disney rubbish and be fed messages that tell us to 'watch your children', 'keep yourself following the path', 'make sure you are happy,' and 'you can be part of a dream for a few hours away from your own (perhaps miserable?) reality' (Because after all, who can live a reality more intoxicating than the Disney characters themselves?). Disneyland is a world that's safe and entertaining; a world where there are no unpleasant surprises and where everything is sanitized. But 'Disneyfication' takes away the life and variety of the real world. In the Disney world, everything, everywhere is the same.

Perhaps the most intelligent part of this power, is that it seem's invisible, we see it as beneficial as we walk through the theme park, yet we then actively begin to use self-surveillance on ourselves and children (telling children to be careful, beware of areas, etc). Theme parks are becoming a model for towns and commercial development. Everywhere, you can find chain restaurants, giant shopping malls, and modernized city centres that all follow the same pattern. They are all designed to make us feel as if we are getting away from life's problems and to make us spend money. We can apply this to other chains, such as McDonalds and Burger King, whereupon we are part of a process of self-surveillance, guided and controlled carefully so we know what to expect and how to expect it.

The Panopticon Prison

In fact, Foucault stated that society would move from being goverment led, controlled and with obvious power 'at the top', to a society that is about letting the people use surveillance and self-surveillance themselves so governments no longer need to (Meaning they save money, power and control can be led by the people so other people keep in line, etc). Disney World becomes just like the 'panopticon prison' which had the idea that prisoners would be in cells on the outside of the building and the guards would be in the tower and able to see directly into prisoners cells (See above image). Through doing this, prisoners would be aware that there was always 'somebody' watching them. In fact Foucault argued that this sense of being observed would be so strong that you could take the guards out the tower (as the prisoners cannot see inside the tower due its windows) and the prisoners would continue to use self-surveillance on their behaviour to make sure that they are not caught and are unsure about whether they are being watched or not. This really does work in practice as panopticons were built throughout the world!

Disney World works in a similar vein, it is about this use of self-surveillance and control/power relationships to ensure that you take the message in and look out for your own behaviour. Smile, have fun, enjoy the experience, take in the merchandise. You want fries with that?

Does anyone else find this disturbing?