1. Surveillance in Society

2. Control in Modern Society
Traditional societies were small, intimate
Rule breaking was easily detected and punished
Modern societies are large & anonymous and, therefore, highly private
Fewer social controls, less scrutiny
How are order and trust to be maintained in the face of privacy and anonymity?

3. The Answer: Surveillance Steven Nock’s Essay
Anonymous societies rely on reputation
Conformity -> good reputation
Deviance -> bad reputation
Strangers have no prior reputation to us
We rely on credentials (group memberships, resumes) and ordeals (drug tests, lie detectors, electronic searches, etc.) to assess them

4. The potential for scrutiny is a powerful
form of social control that induces conformity

5. Culture of Surveillance
NYC – over 2,000 public video cameras
Nearly 90% of U.S. manufacturers test for drugs among their employees
A Mass. company tracks web surfing habits of over 30 million internet users

6. The Functions of Surveillance
Manifest function: Detect deviance
Catch the bad guys (who can disagree?)
Latent function: Deter deviance
For most, the threat of detection will deter – (threatens one’s stakes in conformity)

7. “Technocorrections” Department of Justice Report, May 2000
Need for cost-effective ways to supervise criminals & enhance safety
Electronic tracking and location systems (bracelets, skin implants)
Pharmocological control of behavior
Genetic risk assessment -> gene management
Risk assessment

8. It Could be Anyone We are all potential suspects!
How much surveillance is too much?
Should we have hidden cameras in classrooms to prevent cheating? How about dorm rooms to prevent drug use, property damage, or premarital sex?

9. Should We Care?
Fourth Amendment, U.S. Constitution: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.