Gender Standardization and Panopticism Surveillance in Our Society

Abstract

The society we live in has dominated our thoughts and thinking process by standardizing us in the name of gender, sex and other traditional rituals followed by generations. The power exercised by the society in the name of gender and the techniques exerted to discipline one’s mind is very crucial. This paper focuses on the ways in each we are being standardized, the idea of how the women’s’ body is targeted to exercise discipline and follow society norms.

Keywords: Examination, Gender, Panopticism, Surveillance

Introduction

What is Standardization and who has imposed it upon us? The term standardization is generally defined as a process of establishing standards of different kinds to improve the efficiency of the way in which people’s interactions and emotions are handled. The term standardization is used in various contexts that include the organizations, governments, firms and especially the various interests groups. The society terms standardization as way to solve problem and to commonly define a solution where no one can cross question it. There are many methods to inculcate standards into us; it can be in the form of gender, religion, etc.

The practice of standardization in the society began all the way from the 17th century. [1] According to Foucauldian framework the schools were fabricated in a way where the students were expected to behave in a particular standardized manner according to the society norms. A very meticulous teaching was initiated by the government to train the individuals in different levels of the society. This is one of the ways to standardize the body of an individual and hinder the freedom of achieving their personal success.

Review of Literature

In “bodies that matter” Judith Butler offers a rework of the body examining how the power of heterogamy hegemony forms the “matter” of the bodies, sex and gender.[2] It determines the actions that we perform when we are categorized as a female, male and the others. She tells sex is a social category that is the cause of all the cultural and social practices in the context that history which is a political dilemma. She also challenges Michel Foucault “Discipline and Punish” where he talks about the relations of body and soul. Michel Foucault argues that knowledge produces power. He says why it’s necessary to uncover the mystery how power, knowledge and truth operate and objectify our existences. [3]The transformations in the nature and functioning of power mark the transition to the modern society. The idea is that the modern power aims at repressing the individuals; it is where the concept of feminism and punishment comes into the picture. When people need to exerts power there form some rules that are needed to normalize the individuals

Methodology

There are three ways in which the society exercises power –standardization, surveillance and examination. The idea of panopticism that was introduced by Jeremy Bentham in the 19th century where there was a central observation tower and an official would be posted in that tower. The shadow of the tower that used to fall on all the prison inmates would give them the sense of feeling that they were being continuously watched and they would behave in an appropriate manner. This was a method how surveillance was practiced, that assured the automatic functioning of power by the government. When people believe that they are being watched they tend to behave in a particular manner acceptable to the surrounding.

Examination is conducted in schools to ensure the students productivity that is passed from the teachers to them helps in their development. As defined by Foucault, examination is a form of disciplinary power that leads to objectification and he quotes it as [3] “objectification is the technique by which power instead of emitting the signs of its potency, instead of imposing its mark on its subjects, holds them in a mechanism of objectification.” In simple terms the examination allows modern societies to impose its power upon individuals without the use of direct force. Consider an example of standardization practiced in schools where, till twelfth, the students are expected to be taught English, mathematics and arts each grade. Also, in the hostels that are run by the nuns of the convent, there was a particular bell that is rung for doing every activity.There are separate bells to get up in morning, take bath, have breakfast,and so on. If a student misses that bell he/she is punished. This is another form of ensuring discipline among the students. The schools also emphasized on the memorization techniques that Foucault identified penmanship being prioritized in the French schools.

Findings

The body is always being objectified. Butler terms the humans as a “subject” rather than as an individual or a person in order to underline the linguistic nature of our position as these subjects are the commodities that are being sold or used for varied motives. The identity of one-self is constituted as a belief that revolves around the social sanction and the taboo of the man-made environment, that the belief in 'natural' behavior is really the result of both elusive and impudent coercions. Butler in her performative speech says “Gender reality is performative which means, quite simply, that it is real only to the extent that it is performed”. [4]It is not possible to standardize anyone based on their gender. The very difference of gender and sex is always misinterpreted. Sex is a biological category and gender is a sociological i.e. it’s shaped by the patterns of behavior and the roles imposed upon one [5].

Standardization is also done based on gender and sex. The society puts a huge pressure on women where she is expected to behave in a docile manner. She is expected to be more self-conscious and she must take care of her beauty and appearance.The women are portrayed to be lean, weak and soft-hearted. Even men have a standardized behavior wherein, he is supposed to be muscular, strong and stone-hearted. If he comes across as weak he will be mocked by his peers. Men are expected to behave in very superior standards. They are supposed to take harsh decisions that may hurt others. No matter how tired he is at the end of a heavy day, he is expected to give up his seat in a bus or metro to a woman as he is portrayed as a gentleman. Men are thought of as breadwinners, they are expected to work hard and take care of their family. He cannot be a househusband and let his woman out for work as people question his virtue. As if it is his sole duty he is expected to pay the bills when he is out with a woman. He can never show his feelings, emotions or think with his heart. If a woman commits a mistake it can be overlooked or forgiven but when a man does the same he is given a harsh punishment. One finger pointed by a woman at a man is enough to provoke the society into ruining the man’s life. When there is a divorce, the man is expected to pay unrealistically huge amounts of money to the lady.

Women are mostly oppressed as conceived by many feminists because of patriarchal society and this thought comes from the people who believe that the society is standardized in a way where female is always supposed to bow down to the male gender just because she is perceived as inferior and submissive yet threatening to the existence of man. Women are always under the scanner because they are “victims of pathological physiology” as stated by Balsamo. The idea of men and women are always linked to binaries like [6] mind/body, spirit/ matter, culture/nature that have been shaped with the gender ideologies. Man is the mind which is rational whereas women is the body which is driven by emotional and physical instincts.Man must channelize and tame the unruly nature of a woman by the application of his knowledge and superior power. She is represented as a feeble and passive and must be nurtured and taken care of. There are various instances where the women is manipulated and trained to bear the signs of femininity. They are expected to adorn themselves with clothes, cosmetics and jewellery, even though men also practice them but women are related to it the most. A woman does not have the freedom to clothe herself the way she wants to. She is expected to dress up for men. Her body and her clothes are open for public discussion and scrutiny. It is a practice of body punishment with the exercise of power and superior strength. It is the duty of women to look beautiful as per the society standards; hence they are expected to master wearing numerous cosmetics. Even though both the sexes ultimately will face aging, the women are expected to prevent it. The advertising industry capitalizes on the fear of aging by endorsing different products that can reduce the signs of aging in women. Surgery is also promoted as being an individual choice of correcting the defects in women.

It is never possible to attain gender neutrality as we live in a society that has already been standardized to the polarization of the sexes. Hence the body cannot be treated as one being. The gender analysis needs to be acknowledged as a technology of body; “a primary apparatus of scientific biopower that the body constructs as an intelligent object” as stated by Balsamo. Butler tells us that “if gender is a ‘performance’, we need to ‘perform’ our way out of it by refusing to conform, and beat it at its own game.”

Discussion

The main idea of standardizing is to give the society norms and practices a name. It objectifies itself in the form of symbol in order to affirm its existence. When people behave according to society norms, a form of discipline is created and this is also a way of showing power one has over the other. Foucault stated “Disciplinary society creates a normalized individual”, it represents a kind of individual who is made to know that a surrounding without discipline and punishment cannot exist. The standards are meant to keep the society working in a harmonious manner and very rarely a person can challenges the standard. If the society is challenged of the practices its imposes on the people, the very existence of life can be criticized.

Conclusion

Standardization is absolutely necessary for a society to prosper but the rules for standardization should be malleable. The rules of a society must neither favor men nor should it favor women, they both must co-exist in a harmonious manner. Standardization is needed for efficient working of the society as well as to maintain its order and structure. But changing times call for a change in the rules. If we keep following age old traditions and customs, our society will always remain backward. There will be no progress. Hence, old rules and perceptions must be scrapped and newer rules must take their place.