"For what matters is he knows himself to be observed,"(Foucault, page 3)
Due to the open layout of the school, students are constantly being observed and watched by authority figures. The idea of the panopticon, mentioned in the article, is a state of conscious and permanent visibility that affects the behavior of students in the cafeteria by creating the illusion that their actions are being continually observed. As a result, kids tend to sit towards the edges of the cafeteria so their behavior has a lower risk of being recognized.
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"Omnipresent surveillance, capable of making all visible, as long as it could itself remain invisible,"(Foucault, page 9)
The students are being watched and regulated by the security cameras set up around the school. Since students believe they are being observed consistently, they change their behavior in fear of punishment. Ironically, students adjust their behavior, even though the desk behind the screen may be empty. The presence behind the camera stays anonymous and hidden, which makes it more intimidating because you never know who, or what, is watching you.
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"Subtly arranged so that an observer may observe, at a glance, so many different individuals,"(Foucault, page 6)
This mirror seems to be set up specifically for an anonymous person to watch over the library. In this way it makes the library feel much less private and more monitored. The feeling of being observed is unsettling in a public place like a library. This means that any place could be watched, that nowhere is "safe." Constant observation leads to fear of authority and punishment.
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