Gaze of power

From Geography

This is the basis of disciplinary practices where the individual actors observe their own behaviour. It requires power and surveillance. Power will lead to people performing an expected behaviour. To make sure that this behaviour is retained, and not incidental, surveillance is needed. An inspecting gaze which each individual under its weight will end by interiorizing to the point that he is his own overseer, each individual thus exercising this surveillance over, and against, himself. A superb formula: power exercised continuously and for what turns out to be minimal cost. (Foucault 1980:155) Michel Foucault who linked knowledge with power, related the 'inspecting gaze' to power. An example of the ‘gaze of power’is the Panopticon, which is a specific type of prison.

Other thinkers

Max Weber and Friedrich Nietzsche are other thinkers with different beliefs of power.

References

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Contributors

• Published by Bernard Jansen & Sonny Joziasse

• Page edited by Frank Simons

• Page slightly enhanced by Iris van der Wal - 19:46, October 21st 2012

• Page edited by Michiel van Rijn--MichielVanRijn 14:19, 26 October 2012 (CEST)