Call for papers for the journal "Urbe: a Critical Perspective on Urban Studies"
Special Section: "Security, Control, and Surveillance in the Latin American City"
Guest-editors: Lucas Melgaço (Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB) Nelson Arteaga Botello (Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences - FLACSO)
Latin American cities are becoming increasingly monitored. The most
evident example is the increase in CCTV cameras, both public and
private. With the spread of surveillance cameras throughout the urban
environment it is becoming nearly impossible for an individual to avoid
being digitally recorded while taking a walk along the streets.
Surveillance, however, goes far beyond that, as it includes a set of
many different technologies and practices. In addition to CCTV, we can
cite the appearance of innumerous technologies like mobile and wearable
devices (smartphones, digital cameras, Google Glasses), drones,
biometric tools, identification cards, etc.
In Latin America,
the main reason for installing such technologies is an increase in urban
violence or, at least, a growing fear of urban violence. Security seems
to be the driving force behind the intensification of the use of
surveillance technologies. There are cases, however, where it is hard to
tell apart fear of violence and fear of the “other” (the poor, the
marginalized). Surveillance technologies are then used not only to
protect but also to segregate.
Although “surveillance studies”
is already an established research domain in Europe and North America,
in Latin America it is still developing. Changes came after the creation
of the Latin American Network of Surveillance, Technology and Society
Studies (LAVITS), of which the two guest editors of this special issue
are members (www.lavits.org).
Founded in 2009, the LAVITS research network aims to become a platform
for discussion, exchange of knowledge, and debate around the
sociotechnical circumstances that enable capturing, storing, managing,
and cross-checking digital information.
One of the challenges
faced by researchers who want to study surveillance in Latin America is
to identify the particularities of that continent in comparison to the
way surveillance is carried out on other continents. For instance, fear
of terrorism is not as present in Latin America as on other continents.
On the other hand, more than half of Latin American countries
experienced military dictatorships in the last century and this has
certainly influenced the way surveillance and security are perceived and
promoted in these countries. This call for papers wants to address
not only scholars with a focus on Latin America, but also those who
tackle the idea of surveillance through a spatial and territorial
approach.
We welcome submissions that articulate the ideas of
security, surveillance, control and the urban in Latin American cities.
We particularly encourage papers on, yet not limited to, the following
themes:
• CCTV and Smart CCTV; • The security and surveillance of mega-events taking place in Latin America; • Control of dissent (demonstrations, public protests, etc.); • Urban policing and the use of technologies of information for monitoring and control in
public spaces; • Resistance to surveillance (e.g. through the use of art); • Smart cities, big data and integrated security centers; • Urban planning and surveillance • Urban law and data protection;
• Social media and the city;
• Mobile Surveillance: GPS devices, smartphones, RFID tags, wearable devices, drones; • International comparative studies of security and surveillance in Latin America cities; • The military history of Latin American cities and its relationship with surveillance and
security today; • Theoretical contributions of Latin American authors to the study of surveillance, control, and security in the Latin American city;
SCHEDULE Full paper (5 to 8 thousand words, in English): by July 30, 2014
Expected publication date: January 2015 SUBMISSION All papers will be submitted to a double-blind peer-review process. Full papers must be sent by email to [log in to unmask]
Check urbe’s Instructions for Authors at http://bit.ly/urbe_authors