Task 2 - Popular Music


Adorno has quite a strong opinion on popular music, claiming: "the whole structure of popular music is standardised" he believes that all popular music is the same and is not serious, for the 'lower class' people to listen to. The uneducated docile bodies of those who want to listen to 'pre-digested' music; conform to this style of music as of being working class people, going out and earning a living, they want to come home, relax listen to pre-digested popular music as it does not take the sufficient concentration and intelligence to listen to as 'serious' music does; or so Adorno believes. 


Adorno goes deeper into looking and comparing both popular music and serious music and claims that through the popular music becoming standardised and pre digested, the listeners already know what they expect from the music; "Best known is the rule that the chorus consists of thirty two bars and that the range is limited to one octave and one note". To re-inforce his statement  he talks about how the certain genres of popular music have been digested and have created their own personal characters such as "mother songs, home songs" which are then even simpler for the 'uneducated' to listen to. Pseudo individualisation is used to hide the fact that all the popular music is mass produced, and infact, the comsumer is not really listening to anything new but something that has already been 'listened to for them". Whereas serious music on the other hand he suggests every section and every piece has been carefully thought about and is not influenced by a scheme or boundaries: "Every detail derives its musical sense from the concrete totality of the piece which, in turn, consists of the life relationship of the details and never of a mere enforcement of a musical scheme"


I have chosen this song by Katy Perry as in my opinion she fits into the persona exactly of what Adorno is trying to express, as many of her songs sound similar yet she is popular due to her reliable and standard personality within her music. 

Lecture 3 - The Gaze

18.11.10

Panopticism in modern day society..

A modern day form of Panopticism I would like to focus on is Airport Security and the way in which the Panoptic view within the airport is used and why.

“The Surveillance is based on permanent registration” (foucault in Thomas, J, 2000:61)

One entrance in to an airport you are constantly watched and monitored as we pass through the airport, with all the security measures such as the cctv cameras, security personel, scanners, and checking in as your enter. You are constantly under watch which makes us self regulate of how we feel is appropriate to act within a airport.

“The plague that gave rise to disciplinary projects” (Foucault in Thomas, J, 2000: 62)

This quote relates to the problems of terrorism that have arose over recent years, reffering to the terrorists as the 'plague' is this modern day society. And the airport security has had to adapt to the threats and create their own forms of resistance to the docile bodies of the terrorists.

“Two ways of exercising power over men, of controlling their relations, of separating out their dangerous mixtures” (Foucault in Thomas, J, 2000: 62)

The 'dangerous mixtures' again relating to the docile bodies of the terrorists of whom are testing the panoptic strength, power and security of the airport's system. And separating those whom do not with the stick to the rules from the other docile bodies of whom are self regulating their own behaviour and acting the way in which they see fit.

“He is seen, but he does not see; he is the object of information, never a subject in communication” (Foucault in Thomas, J, 2000: 65)

Relating to the way in which the security of the airport will watch the people entering the airport giving them the power and knowledge of what people are doing. Also the socio historic moment of the panoptic ways of security such as cctv gives them the status over the docile bodies to judge whom should and should not be in the airport.

“How will power, by increasing its forces , be able to increase those of society” (Foucault in Thomas, J, 2000: 68)

How will the modern day panoptic security of a airport actually help to increase the 'normal' people rather than the docile bodies influenced by terrorism? How will increasing

the forces and the way in which people self regulate actually change the terrorists.

Lecture 2 - Critical position of the media and popular culture.

11.11.10

Task one. 

Choose an example of one aspect of contemporary culture that is, in your opinion, panoptic.
Write an explanation 200 - 300 words.
Use Foucauldian language, such as docile bodies etc.
Use 5 or more quotes from the passage.
Harvard Reference: (Foucault in Thomas, J, 2000:page number)

Ideas: 

• Facebook - your always being watched. People can see where you are what you have been doing who you have seen recently. Everything.
• Mobile Phones - people can hack into your phone and track your every move.
• Internet - people can hack into what you are doing, what you have looked at on your computer, your details to log onto programs.
• Prison tags - for obvious reasons for being on tag you are tagged everywhere you go and confined to  a certain area.
• Airport security - obviously with terror threats there are people always watching your every move and splitting people up to determine the 'abnormal' from the 'normal' 

Quick group task.. chose a subject and find 5 quotes from the passage to relate to the modern subject.

Airport Security

 'The plague gave rise to disciplinary projects" we used this quote relating the 'plague' to the terrorist threats and the disciplinary projects as the airport response to that.

'He is seen, but he does not see; he is the object of information' we related this to the idea of the people in the background of the airport services that are behind the scenes that are not seen but prevent what is going on at the airport.

'Two ways of exercising power over men, of controlling their relations, of separating out their dangerous mixtures'  the way in which they segregate people who may cause suspicion.

'Capillary functioning over power'

'The surveillance is based on a system of permanent registration' the idea that you are always being watched and you are always marked down, and known where you are, where to go and where you are supposed to be.

Seminar one

08.11.10

Key points from the lecture:

• surveillance & monitoring
• power
• panopticism - constantly visible
• self regulation - modifying behaviour, discipline & behaviour
• disciplinary power - shifted from physical power (beheading and being hung,drawn and quartered) to mental disciplines so the victim is forced to think about their own behaviour and forced to take responsibility for their actions.
• power/knowledge/body - you change the way you act to play up to the people who are watching you, what they would like you to do or be like. Knowledge - people such as doctors who were 'useful' to the society gained a status because they were useful. 
• Institutional Gaze - asylums, prisons - places where there is that hierarchy. 

"Power is a relationship" - Foucault 

Sociohistoric moment - the moment where they feel the need for someone with status to judge society and determine who is 'normal' and 'abnormal'

Docile bodies - these are not lazy/stupid bodies, it is a body whom is easily controlled, takes instruction, more productive people. Such as soldiers, they are given orders and told in what way is appropriate to act, yet keep themselves in good shape and take their own responsibility to 'be up to the mark'.

Jeremy Bentham 1791 - he came up with the idea of a well built succesful building of panopticism, however was not around to see it built. 

He is also preserved in the University of London!!  

Notes from the passage:

Lecture one - Surveillance & Society 

04.11.10