Monday, 17 December 2012

He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake...


Santa Claus is Coming to Town is a very popular Christmas song which, although jolly in nature, reinforces the thought that "Santa is always watching and judging behaviour" in the minds of children. After taking a course in Contemporary Social Theory, I immediately drew parallels between the song lyrics of Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Jeremy Bentham's panopticon when listening to my favourite Christmas hits this holiday season.

You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town

He's making a list
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice

Santa Claus is in charge of all the presents, and in the mind of a child, all the excitement that surrounds Christmas morning. He has the ability to put an ends to all the gifts that children will receive as a result of crying, pouting and naughty behaviour. Children are reminded through these lyrics that if they are not properly behaved, their Christmas may be spoiled.

He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!

During the holiday season, children are reminded through these lyrics that Santa can always see them. On Christmas night, if they are not sleeping, he will not come bring them gifts. They are reminded that although they do not know if he is watching at all times, that he has the ability to constantly watch them and could be. To be safe, it is best for children to be good at all times.

These lyrics serve as a reminder and warning during Christmas time that Santa rewards good behaviours and punishes poor behaviour. Children are reminded through spottings of Santa Claus at the mall and through other media that he is real. They write him letters and when they receive a response, this realism is confirmed. They are told by their parents that he is magical and therefore it is believable that he can watch you at all times. These lyrics are played over and over again at Christmas time and are referenced by parents when telling their children to behave. They are a reminder, constantly in the heads of children about the power that Santa holds and his ability to see them at all times.  With that in mind, let's consider Bentham's ideology of power and the panopticon.

Michel Foucault writes in his 1975 work Discipline & Punish: The Birth of thePrison how the panopticon is effective in its design by establishing and sustaining a power relation where the prisoner feels as though they are constantly monitored even if the surveillance is discontinuous in its action. Bentham believed that power, in order to be most effective, should be visible and unverifiable.

Visible: the inmate will constantly have before his eyes the tall outline of the central tower from which he is spied upon.

Unverifiable: the inmate must never know whether he is being looked at at any one moment; but he must be sure that he may always be so.

Can you see the parallels? I sure can...

 

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