Transformation of Surveillance Society in Postmodern Culture: From ‘Panopticon’ to ‘Synopticon’ and ‘Omniopticon’

Abstract

Within the historical process from modernism to postmodernism, surveillance has changed both as quantitative and qualitative via information and communication technologies that pushing the boundaries, and this change has brought new criticisms together. Asymmetrical surveillance which is defined by panopticon metaphor in modernism, has transformed to omniopticon that is the last point of surveillance in postmodernism. By this AJIT-e: Online Academic Journal of Information Technology 2017-Special Issue/Özel Sayı –Cilt/Vol: 8‐Sayı/Num: 30 DOI: 10.5824/1309‐1581.2017.5.003.x http://www.ajit‐e.org/?menu=pages&p=details_of_article&id=286 46 transformation, control function of power has masked and it has deeply changed. In panoptic surveillance, control function of power is based on external pressure and coerce, but in synopticon and omniopticon, it is based on individual consent and volunteerism. The 'boring control' function of the power in panopticon has turned into a 'hedonist and entertaining' attribute when it comes to the omniopticon. In this study, the structural transformation of surveillance in the process of modernism and postmodernism has been examined by using literature review method, and it is aimed to determine differences between the concepts of panopticon, synopticon and omniopticon. The theoretical infrastructure has been based on the thoughts of the leading figures working in this context. The aim of this study is to explain of the changing surveillance practices with postmodernism in the axis of the postmodern cultural motifs. In this respect, it has been determined that today's surveillance practices develops in harmony with the dynamics of postmodernism. It has been reached the conclusion that the power has been completely hidden its existence in synopticon and omniopticon, and has been reproduced itself, although the existence of power in the panopticon has been known but clearly not seen.