The Maximum Surveillance Society: The Rise of CCTV

Description

The use of Closed-Circuit Television, or CCTV, has dramatically increased over the past decade, but its presence is often so subtle as to go unnoticed. Should we unthinkingly accept that increased surveillance is in the public's best interests, or does this mean that 'Big Brother' is finally watching us? This book asks provocative questions about the rise of the maximum surveillance society. Is crime control the principal motivation behind increased surveillance or are the reasons more complex? Does surveillance violate peoples' right of privacy? Who gets surveilled and why? What are its implications for social control? Does surveillance actually reduce crime? What will developments in technology mean for the future of surveillance? What rights do individuals under surveillance have? How is the information gathered through CCTV used by the authorities? Based on extensive fieldwork on automated surveillance in Britain over a two-year period, this book not only attempts to answer these vexing questions, but also provides a wealth of detailed information about the reasoning behind and effects of social control.

Clive Norris University of Sheffield Gary Armstrong Lecturer,Department of Sport Science, Brunel University

'No one can miss the cameras; they're on the main roads, in the city streets, and in the stores. You can, however, mistake their meaning. The Maximum Surveillance Society offers a clear and nuanced reading of the social and political trends revealed in the recent rush to install CCTV cameras. With a wealth of day-to-day detail, and a sensitive use of theory, this book displays the grounded scholarly imagination at its best. Avoiding both alarmism and complacency, the authors provide a timely analysis that demands widespread attention.' David Lyon, Professor of Sociology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario '[A] landmark study.' The Big Issue 'In this timely book, Norris and Armstrong address intriguing questions about the role of closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillence in contemporary society ... Pulling back the curtain to expose both the inside of the control room and the political machine that promotes the growth of CCTV, the book provides a fresh perspective on a controversial topic in contemporary society.' Environment and Planning A