Panopticism

In Foucault's work Discipline and Punish he discuses the theory of Panopticism.  This theory directly connects the concept of discipline and power, in this work particularly in the prison system, but also in a more general sense throughout society.

Foucault bridges discipline and power by describing discipline as a sort of technology.  As new technology arises, such as the Panopticon (an institution designed by Jeremy Bentham), power is more perfected than it was in the past.  He describes the Panopticon as a "cruel, ingenious cage" that acts as a "mechanism of power reduced to its ideal form" (292).  Thus, the Panopticon serves as the newest form of discipline, and in so "perfect(s) the exercise of power"  because it reduces the number of people who possess it while increasing those on whom power is exercised (293).

Unlike older, tyrannical forms of power, the Panopticon keeps the owner of the power a mystery.  In this way it instills fear in those who are ruled by it, and ensures that no one man has the power.  This form of power can be connected to both Kanye West's "Power,"  when he states "No one man should have all that power."  The power he refers to could be compared to the center tower of the Panopticon, controlling everything that it views, although West is acting out against the source.  Similarly, the idea can be  applied to the one percent that occupy wall street refers to in their campaign.  OWS claims that in society a small amount of the population metaphorically sit in the center, controlling those around them.