The Dangers of Surveillance in America
This unit focuses on the use of surveillance in public space and in the public sphere. We will read a foundational article in surveillance studies (Foucault’s “Panopticism,” which you are likely to encounter again in your studies no matter what your major) and then we will read several articles about various forms of surveillance that we may have encountered. Think about questions such as: How much surveillance of our daily lives is acceptable? Does surveillance improve or detract from our personal safety? How can an average person resist or avoid surveillance if they wish to do so? How are institutions creating cultures of surveillance, such as those in schools and workplaces? How does a culture of freedom coexist with a culture of surveillance?
