The proposed workshops will bring together a multi-disciplinary and international array of scholars studying contemporary issues of surveillance and society. In the modern era, issues of security command the attention of policymakers and the general public, both within the U.S. and beyond. Surveillance has become the key mechanism employed in both public and private sectors to contend with the uncertainty raised by threats of terrorism and other criminal activities. With the rise in surveillance apparatuses and security forces, however, public concerns have multiplied, not only about the cost and efficacy of such safeguards, but also about encroachments upon privacy, civil liberties, and public spaces. These tensions have not gone unnoticed by social scientists and humanities scholars studying surveillance.
The objectives of these two three-day workshops are 1) to foster interdisciplinary dialogue on contemporary surveillance issues, 2) to map core areas of surveillance research to locate collaborative opportunities and existing research gaps, and 3) to facilitate graduate student training. The choice of participants will provide a balanced representation of both junior and senior scholars, disciplinary training, and international perspectives. The attendees at both workshops will be asked to address a common set of cross-cutting questions aimed at assessing and improving interdisciplinary knowledge on surveillance and society.
