An Essay Based On The Article Cabal By Richard Wilkinson, HardTech Inc. & Mearl oil Case (Essay Sample)

HardTech Inc. & Mearl oil Case Study
Name
Institution
Date
The Article Cabal
The article Cabals, Quarrels, Strikes, and Impudence: Kingston Penitentiary by Roger Neufeld tells of the institution that was established in 1835 with the purpose of rehabilitating criminals. The objective of the penitentiary was to reform criminals through particular discipline, solitude, and labor. The penitentiary, however, faced challenges as its failures were exposed such as by the Brown Commission of 1849. These problems made the theories put forward by Michel Foucault to viable and applicable to practical cases.
Formed as one of the first institutions of its kind in North America, the penitentiary offers a lot of food for thought as there is a lot to learn from its failures. The Kingston Penitentiary failed in its core objective for which it was set up ‘rehabilitating lawbreakers.' Foucault’s ideas sought to combat this problem by coming up with an overhaul of the elemental structures of constructing penitentiaries. The years from its formation to 1914 presented experiences that could be used in the attempt to build more efficient correction systems.
The Kingston was constructed before Canada became a republic. It is located in an area around midway between Toronto and Montreal. This region had been settled by the native people before the French, and the British followed later on. The Penitentiary had 154 cells in five tiers that were built of limestone. Outside buildings were used for administration, sheds, as well as shops. It was the largest building in Canada at the time of its completion. It was opened in 1835 and immediately hosted six inmates. Henry Smith was the first warden. The initial area occupied by the penitentiary has increased from around four to around nine acres. Its complex structure allowed for expansion in later years. This involved a detailed interior arrangement, a cross shape and a dome adding to the complexity. The location was recommended as it was supposed to be away from other forms of settlement. At the same time, there was an abundance of quarrying stones and a British garrison nearby for security purposes.
Kingston Penitentiary was set up to house members of the society whose actions led to disorder or who broke the law. It was also set up with ideas about morality and order. At the time, crimes less than murder did not warrant the death penalty. There were also instances of unjust fines, banishment being not enforced, degrading and improper punishment or no punishment at all. In the jails that were available at the time, seasoned criminals could be mixed with young criminals which was improper. These were some of the reasons that led to its establishment.
After its opening, the penitentiary received a continuous flow of inmates of both genders. 410 inmates were housed in the penitentiary by 1850, a rise from the initial five. The cells were 200 cm by 244cm by 74 cm. Inmates were prohibited from communicating with each other via verbal or non-verbal means. A violation of this rule implied that the prisoner received a lashing. Prisons at the time were managed on Auburn systems. This system prohibited communication and switched prisoners at night. The penitentiary was supposed not to be cruel but rather to be so irksome that one would dread having to serve another sentence in the prison.
The penitentiary was found to be a place laden with brutal practices. This included a poor diet that was composed meals of bread and water only.There was a box that was shaped that one could be forced to spend a long time with limited movement. Lashing was also rampant even for minor or inappropriate offenses and was even done on minors. An eleven-year boy was flogged for speaking French in 1844's Christmas Eve.
The flaws depicted in the Penitentiary’s running led to the beginning of alternative modes of thinking regarding correction and correction facilities. Michel Foucault had divergent theories on the nature of the self and character as well as power and its perceptions. According to him, power is everywhere. Power needs not be used as an instrument of coercion, therefore. His works represent a radical departure from traditional views on power in various aspects. Power is diffuse rather than concentrated; it is embodied in discourse, regimes of truth as well as knowledge. Power constitutes agents rather than being dispersed by them. Foucault’s mode of thinking revolutionized the manner in which power is perceived. Power is not a structure neither is it an agency. It is in constant flux and negotiation rather than being fixed.
Foucault’s observation of the administrative systems in Europe in the eighteenth century led to the development of his theories on how power can be manifested resulting in better running institutions. Power is a powerful influencer of social discipline and conformity. In systems such as schools, mental hospitals, and prisons, surveillance methods were introduced that did not require force or violence for enforcement. He studied disciplines such as criminology, psychology and medicine and their impact on behavior and deviance of populat...