The Biopolitical Justification for Geosurveillance

Bibliographic Data

ID4487374
AuthorsJeremy W Crampton (0000-0001-5702-0430, corresponding author)
Year2007
Volume97
Issue3
Pages389-403
Publication date2007-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGeographical Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0016-7428 • E-ISSN: 1931-0846
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1931-0846.2007.tb00512.x
OpenAlexW2116715432
LanguageEN
Citations received18
References cited43

Biopolitical use of geosurveillance can create and sustain a politics of fear. Although the majority of surveillance literature focuses on individuals, in this article I focus on groups and populations, drawing on Michel Foucault's analysis of biopolitics. After discussing the forms and history of geosurveillance I argue that three particularly important factors contribute to these politics: divisions, geospatial technologies, and the risk‐based society. In order to combat the negative unintended consequences of these factors I suggest that more attention be paid to the mutual relationships between geospatial technology and politics, rather than on assessments of the value of individual surveillant technologies

Biopower · Business · Environmental ethics · Geography · Geospatial analysis · Michel foucault · Order (exchange · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Unintended consequences · Value (mathematics · Ethics in Clinical Research · Geographies of human-animal interactions · Law · Privacy, Security, and Data Protection