Lecture Notes: Watching You, Watching Me

Overview

• Discussion on the paper titled Watching You, Watching Me
• Importance of understanding the paper through its title

The Panopticon

• Originated by Jeremy Bentham in the late 18th century
• Concept:
  • Prison design with a circular structure
  • Cells around the perimeter
  • Watchtower at the center
  • Guards can see every cell
  • Prisoners aware of surveillance but uncertain of the timing
• Used to illustrate power dynamics and surveillance

Influence of The Panopticon

• Michel Foucault incorporated this concept in his writings
• Late 1980s: Shoshana Zuboff applied the metaphor to information technology
  • Comparison of technology's pervasive surveillance capabilities

Critique and Contextualization

• Key Points:
  • Employees ≠ Prisoners: Acknowledging the difference
  • Visibility of Technology:
    • Unlike a physical watchtower, technology isn't always visible
    • People often forget they're being observed
• Navy's Approach:
  • Reminds personnel of surveillance through contextual awareness
  • Emphasizes the importance of not disclosing sensitive information
  • Encourages sailors to internalize the surveillance concept
  • Importance of understanding and buying into the surveillance process

Conclusion

• The Panopticon metaphor is useful for understanding organizational surveillance
• Highlights the dual role of the organization and employees
  • Organizations: Implement and maintain surveillance systems
  • Employees: Participate and comply with the surveillance logic
• The metaphor aids in grasping the dynamics of technological surveillance in modern workplaces