OPEN CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
	
	Workshop on Generating Collaborative Research in the
	
	Ethical Design of Surveillance Infrastructures
	
	June 8-11, 2006; Austin, Texas
	
	
	Surveillance may be understood as a set of processes of
identification,
	tracking, analysis and response which organize social knowledge,
social
	relations, and social power.  Surveillance mediates everyday
life.  For
	example, internet "cookies," shopping loyalty cards, and mobile
phone
	numbers all individuate and identify us.  These identifiers are
used to
	index databases recording our web surfing activities, our
purchases, and
	our movements.  The databases are subjected to statistical
analysis in
	order to produce knowledge of demographic categories, typical
patterns, or
	suspect behavior.  This knowledge is then applied back to
individuals in
	the population in order to assign each to a particular niche
market or risk
	group, and to act toward them accordingly.  Thus, through
surveillance,
	knowledge is created, categories and types are produced,
individuals are
	assigned social identities, and actions are taken that
articulate those
	identities within a larger social order.
	
	These surveillance practices are themselves shaped by
overlapping and
	intertwined technical systems, laws, institutional
configurations, and
	cultural understandings.  This "infrastructure" of surveillance
supports
	patterns of access to the resources of knowledge production,
social
	visibility, and social position.
	
	In June 2006 a three-day workshop will be held in Austin, Texas.
The
	purpose of the meeting is to generate collaborative research
projects
	exploring further
	    * the social implications of surveillance practice,
	    * the technological, legal, economic, and cultural
infrastructures that
	shape surveillance practice, and
	    * possible technological, legal, economic, or cultural
interventions to
	reshape those infrastructures to desired ends.
	
	  The workshop will address this issue in the context of the
following themes:
	    * If surveillance mediates the production of categories and
types of
	people, how can surveillance infrastructures be shaped to permit
	individuals, and groups of individuals, to coalesce around a
particular
	identity?
	    * How can surveillance infrastructures mediate the ability
of groups
	and individuals to "perform" certain identities within certain
contexts?
	    * How can surveillance infrastructures mediate the ability
of
	subcultures to generate and sustain knowledge of and for
themselves?
	    * How can surveillance resources be appropriately allocated
to ensure
	that groups of many scales (the family, the subculture, the
nation) are
	able to defend, protect, and nurture their own (perhaps
conflicting)
	interests?
	
	We seek participants whose interests and expertise complement
and expand
	upon each other's work in social theory, information system
design,
	business, and public policy, and who will be able to address
issues such as:

	    * the application of legal paradigms other than privacy to
practices of
	information collection. We are particularly interested
explorations of
	legal theories of cultural rights and information commons.
	    * the application of novel information processing
techniques,
	including, but not limited to, pseudonymity, digital rights
management, and
	cluster analysis.
	    * the application of social theories of identity, including
queer
	theory and performance studies.
	    * the intersection of market interests with ethical
surveillance practice.
	
	The workshop is intended to provide the initial venue for the
production of
	fundable, collaborative, cross-disciplinary research proposals.
	Participants will be expected to prepare a position paper for
distribution
	one month prior to the meeting. At the workshop itself, we will
identify
	synergistic interactions of expertise, fruitful research
directions, and
	possible sources of funding. After the workshop, participants
will be
	eligible to apply for seed money grants to complete
collaborative grant
	proposals to pursue those projects.  Participants will also be
invited to
	contribute to an edited volume.
	
	The project will provide meals and accommodation for workshop
participants,
	and will reimburse reasonable travel costs. Please include a
quote of
	lowest available airfare in your application. Participants from
outside the
	U.S. are especially encouraged to apply.
	
	Potential participants should submit (to [log in to unmask])
proposals
	consisting of two parts:
	
	(1) a 750-1000 word abstract, describing your area of research,
its
	relevance to the conference topic, and a proposed presentation.
The
	abstract should directly address a collaborative element - a
	cross-disciplinary or cross-professional alignment that would
further the
	presenter's research goal.
	
	(2) a one-page biography or curriculum vitae, listing your
relevant
	publications and experience.
	
	The deadline for proposals is March 1, 2006.  Participants will
be selected
	by March 20, 2006.
	
	For more information, please contact David Phillips
([log in to unmask]),
	or visit
	<http://communication.utexas.edu/ethicalsurveillance/
<http://communication.utexas.edu/ethicalsurveillance/>
>http://communication.utexas.edu/ethicalsurveillance/
<http://communication.utexas.edu/ethicalsurveillance/> 
	
	
	
	This project is supported by the National Science Foundation
under grant
	#0551532 and by the University of Texas College of Communication
and
	Department of Radio-Television-Film.