Surveillance Courses

Future Topics in Surveillance by Richard Smith — last modified 2006-05-23 10:01

There isn't time in any course to do everything. But I have some ideas about more surveillance courses, or different versions of this one.

The Surveillance (Intervention, Book 1) by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-28 02:55

A novel, and not an explicitly "surveillance studies" theme, but what the heck - it was so hard to pass up with this title. And Julian May is a pretty good writer, too.

The New Politics of Surveillance and Visibility (Green College Thematic Lecture Series) by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-28 02:55

This collection comes from a conference held at Green College a couple of years ago - many of the chapters in this collection were originally presented there. For some reason I missed the conference, so I am doubly glad they put out this collection. Possibly a required text in my surveillance course.

Surveillance After September 11 (Themes for the 21st Century Series) by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-26 12:18

David Lyon, ever the focal point of surveillance studies, released this collection in 2003, as a reflection on surveillance after September 11th.

Surveillance as Social Sorting: Privacy, Risk and Automated Discrimination by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-28 02:56

The social sorting book, a bit dated now but still useful, was the textbook for my 453 course for several years. It contains most of the main themes from the course, and plenty of Canadian examples (although not exclusively Canadian).

Surveillance Society (Issues in Society) by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-28 02:56

Second of David Lyon's surveillance books (I think).

The Electronic Eye: The Rise of Surveillance Society by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-29 00:21

This is David Lyon's first book on surveillance.

Welcome to the Machine: Science, Surveillance, and the Culture of Control by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-04-01 01:53

A surveillance book I haven't heard of, but it looks very interesting.

CTRL [SPACE]: Rhetorics of Surveillance from Bentham to Big Brother by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-04-01 03:06

A very well known book, that was put together around an exhibition in Germany.

Modernity and the Hegemony of Vision by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-04-01 03:45

Is all this surveillance in our lives because we - as "modern" human beings - are fixated on the visual senses? This book grapples with that topic, not from the perspective of surveillance scholars, but from the perspective of philosophers.

Everyday Surveillance: Vigilance and Visibility in Postmodern Life by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-04-01 03:45

Everyday surveillance is 'mundane' according to Staples, and I would have to agree. In fact, the ordinariness of surveillance is a theme that Lyon pursues as well.

Undercover: Police Surveillance in America (20th Century Fund) by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-29 00:21

Gary Marx is the "grand old man" of surveillance studies and his work is always a pleasure to include. He also provides a lot of material, for free, on his web site.

The Right to Privacy by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-27 23:38

Surveillance is all about privacy - that's the big issue for most people.

No Place to Hide: Behind the Scenes of Our Emerging Surveillance Society by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-30 23:44

O'Harrow is a reporter for the Washington Post, and his account of surveillance in the lives of everyday people is revealing, if a bit spooky.

The Digital Person: Technology And Privacy In The Information Age by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-26 20:42

 

Database Nation : The Death of Privacy in the 21st Century by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-25 05:32

 

The Limits of Privacy by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-29 00:22

 

The Unwanted Gaze: The Destruction of Privacy in America by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-29 18:26

 

The Truman Show (Special Collector's Edition) by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-22 10:21

A classic surveillance film with an unusual premise - a person's whole life has been watched... as entertainment. Everyone he meets is an actor. And he doesn't know it.

Deleuze on Cinema (Deleuze and the Arts, 1) by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-31 23:10

Gilles Deleuze is a pillar of the surveillance studies community and one of the media forms that he explored in details was, of course, cinema. This book looks at Deleuze's analysis of cinema in several books and articles.

The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force Us to Choose Between Privacy and Freedom? by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-04-01 03:06

I had a debate with Brin one time, on a CBC radio program. It was quite a bit of fun. We aren't too far off, really, but I had to be a bit skeptical about the feasibility of some of what he proposes - full and transparent access to the actions of those in power. Sure, it sounds like a good idea, but would it work in practice?

Surveillance and Security: Technological Politics and Power in Everyday Life by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-04-01 03:45

I haven't read this one yet, but Torin is a promising young researcher in the surveillance studies field.

The Governance of Privacy: Policy Instruments in Global Perspective by Richard Smith — last modified 2008-03-26 11:52

The book discusses the goals of privacy protection, the liberal individualist assumptions behind it and alternative social-value premises, and the neglected relationship between privacy and social equity. It considers the concepts of trust and risk in the processing of personal data. It describes and evaluates different policy instruments, as well as the efficacy of the ‘top-down’ statutory approach and its self-regulatory and technological alternatives. It looks at the interrelationships of policy instruments and their position in a global framework of regulation by regimes that include state and non-state actors. It considers whether a higher level of global privacy standards and protection will emerge.

Surveillance Films by Richard Smith — last modified 2006-05-23 17:25

A collection of films with a surveillance connection. Some of these help us understand the technology of surveillance, others help us understand what it is like to be under surveillance, others focus on the act of doing the surveillance.