NCJ Number
213109
Editor(s)
Elia Zureik,
Mark B. Salter
Date Published
2005
Length
271 pages
Annotation
The 14 chapters of this book stem from discussions at a workshop on the ways in which the modern state attempts to control its mobile population and data flow.
Abstract
The chapters offer both a theoretical framework and case studies pertinent to border security and the management of personal information in an age of borderless global commerce, cultural interaction, terrorism, and transnational crime. The authors' mutual concern with various forms, processes, and institutions of surveillance underlie the compilation of these papers. The chapters are organized into four broad themes. Three chapters discuss typologies and theories of borders and border maintenance, with attention to not only borders of nations but also borders set by individuals for their personal space. Three other chapters analyze the relationship between biometric (measurement of distinctive biological features of individuals) and surveillance technologies. This is done through both theoretical and empirical analyses. Three chapters examine the North American context for surveillance techniques, with attention to both private and governmental means and scope of surveillance. Two chapters examine the dynamics of the persistence and priority of border control for nations. This is followed by two chapters that investigate border security issues in Great Britain and the European Union as a whole. Overall, the chapters indicate that a central feature of contemporary societies will be the collection of biometric and other identifying information on individuals for the purpose of identifying those who are dangerous and monitoring their movements and behavior. Such surveillance techniques will not only be used at national borders but also at public and private "borders" within nations in order to reduce risks of harm within defined areas. Chapter notes and references and a subject index