Surveillance is ubiquitous in human society. Various actors and institutions surveil populations, social institutions, and the environment. Surveillance, in turn, shapes identities, social categories, and environmental policy. What are the effects of these practices on us and on the world? Through an exploration of its relationships to the self, popular culture, biodiversity, and more, this cluster examines the productive and problematic aspects of contemporary surveillance. Courses take up the potential costs of surveillance in terms of the individual, social inequalities, and ethical dilemmas within systems of surveillance themselves. Students will reckon with the ubiquity of surveillance in our society and the challenges it poses to present and future social relationships, structures, and institutions.
This cluster will be offered throughout 2024-26.
