Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE PHI5001

 
TITLE A Philosophical Analysis of the Societies of Surveillance

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Philosophy

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit examines the nature of contemporary society in the light of the new technologies of information. While the information age has been much lauded as the defining feature of contemporary society, the gathering and collection of information for its utilisation by the state or private companies has been relatively neglected.

Study-unit Aims:

This study-unit aims to familiarise students with the basic theories discussed in he field of surveillance theory.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

1. examine the foundations of surveillance theories and differentiate between the various technologies of surveillance;
2. investigate the impact of these technologies of surveillance on the constitution of the self and of space; on the private and the public; on global data flows;
3. explore the relationship between surveillance and the economy;
4. examine the new directions taking place within surveillance theory.

2. Skills:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

1. question the emerging technologies of surveillance and examine their relationship to social networks in a written assignment;
2. evaluate the development of the technological and legal structures that shape contemporary society in a written assignment;
3. theorize possible forms of resistance to surveillance in a written assignment;
4. review the differences between modern and postmodern forms of surveillance in a written assignment.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Cousins, Michael. Surveillance Law (U.K.: Lexisnexis, 2004).
Dandeker, Christopher. Surveillance, power, and modernity: bureaucracy and discipline from 1700 to the present day (U.K.: Polity Press: 1990).
Hier, Sean and Greenberg, Joshua. The Surveillance Studies Reader. (Open University Press, 2007).
Lyon, David. Theorizing Surveillance. (U.K: Willan, 2006).
Lyon, David. Surveillance Studies: An Overview. (U.K.:Polity, 2007).
Schneier, Bruce. Liars and Outliers: Enabling the Trust that Society needs to Thrive. (Oxford: Wiley, 2012).
Zureik, Elia and Salter, Mark. B. (Eds). Global surveillance and policing : borders, security, identity (U.K. Willan, 2005).

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Pre-requisite Qualifications: BA Hons Philosophy, MA Preparatory in Philosophy

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture, Seminar and Tutorial

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment Yes 100%

 
LECTURER/S

 

 
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Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

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