Panopticon in the Classroom: Unveiling the Spatial Semiotics and Power Dynamics in Chinese Educational Spaces
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| Title: | Panopticon in the Classroom: Unveiling the Spatial Semiotics and Power Dynamics in Chinese Educational Spaces |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Yani Zhao, Weiqi Tian, Jingshen Ge (ORCID |
| Source: | British Journal of Sociology of Education. 2026 47(2):249-268. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 20 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Semiotics, Power Structure, Observation, Higher Education, Private Colleges, Classroom Environment, Discourse Analysis, Social Media, Seminars, Classroom Techniques, Accountability, Classroom Design |
| Geographic Terms: | China |
| DOI: | 10.1080/01425692.2025.2590629 |
| ISSN: | 0142-5692 1465-3346 |
| Abstract: | This study investigates how surveillance technologies shape spatial semiotics and power dynamics within Chinese university classrooms. Employing a discourse-design approach, we triangulate a visual-spatial analysis of 100 classrooms from ten elite universities, duoethnographic dialogues between a teacher and student, and a critical discourse analysis of social media debates. The findings reveal a central paradox: architecturally 'democratised' seminar-style classrooms often contain more intensive surveillance systems than traditional lecture halls, reinforcing disciplinary power under the guise of modernisation. This panoptic system, driven by institutional managerialism, reconfigures pedagogical relationships and fosters pervasive self-surveillance and anticipatory self-censorship among both students and faculty. By examining the lived realities and public contestations of surveillance, this research challenges techno-optimistic narratives and offers critical insights for global debates on balancing educational accountability with academic freedom. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1500744 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This study investigates how surveillance technologies shape spatial semiotics and power dynamics within Chinese university classrooms. Employing a discourse-design approach, we triangulate a visual-spatial analysis of 100 classrooms from ten elite universities, duoethnographic dialogues between a teacher and student, and a critical discourse analysis of social media debates. The findings reveal a central paradox: architecturally 'democratised' seminar-style classrooms often contain more intensive surveillance systems than traditional lecture halls, reinforcing disciplinary power under the guise of modernisation. This panoptic system, driven by institutional managerialism, reconfigures pedagogical relationships and fosters pervasive self-surveillance and anticipatory self-censorship among both students and faculty. By examining the lived realities and public contestations of surveillance, this research challenges techno-optimistic narratives and offers critical insights for global debates on balancing educational accountability with academic freedom. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0142-5692 1465-3346 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/01425692.2025.2590629 |
