Observing for good.

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Before the kibbutz movement closed the communal sleeping arrangements of its children's houses kibbutz children spent almost their entire day in those houses. In the 1970s numerous kindergartens were constructed with the understanding that because the children would be busy there throughout the day the caretakers would need to be able to observe them in their various activities. One model, used on my kibbutz and which I also saw on at least one other, located the kitchen/meal preparing area in such a way that the caretaker, looking forward, could see the eating area, all of the play areas, and the bedrooms, and turning to look backward could see the showers. In other words, a strategically placed caregiver could more than less observe everything taking place in the building. Though even at the time of the construction of these kindergartens many kibbutz members wanted to end the communal sleeping arrangements I never heard anyone complain that there was something Big Brother-like, or sinister, in this clearly Panopticon-like building structure.

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Go to: That's the best word you can find?, or
Go to: Ain't no need to hide, ain't no need to run.