Heroic resistance certainly has its place but it's not the only form of
resistance. We need understand how resistance and power are produced
under surveillance in a variety of situations, and how these
configurations change. Clearly the Hawthorne studies are an example of
how observation changes behaviour but does the fact that much everyday
surveillance is normalised, goes unnoticed, is taken for granted and is
not responded to overtly by people mean that it is any less significant?
I would say not... Do we have the conceptual tools to analyse the
latter?
Kirstie
-----Original Message-----
From: Research and teaching on surveillance
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Roger Clarke
Sent: 31 October 2006 14:21
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: NY TIMES: Speed Cameras in UK
Sounds like anyone who's looking for heroic resistance to rampant,
individualism-squelching surveillance had better not look on this
list. The ivory tower seems to have no truck with Winston Smiths.
I take particular exception to the statement that "Surveillance is
not sinister as such". Surveillance of objects perhaps not; but
surveillance of humans has an inevitable and substantial impact on
human behaviour. A corollary of the Hawthorne experiments was that
humans aren't the same when they're observed. Many of us would call
that process 'de-humanisation'. Do social scientists *really* want
to repeat the mistakes of the physical scientists and engineers, and
pretend that they have to avoid values-loaded research in order to
achieve the saintly mantle of 'scientist'??
I originally addressed this to my fellow information systems
academics and professionals, but perhaps a version's needed for other
audiences:
Economic, Legal and Social Implications of Information Technology
http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/DV/ELSIC.html
--
Roger Clarke http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/
Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd 78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
mailto:[log in to unmask] http://www.xamax.com.au/
Visiting Professor in Info Science & Eng Australian National University
Visiting Professor in the eCommerce Program University of Hong Kong
Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre Uni of NSW
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