C. William R. Webster

The Normality of Living in Surveillance Societies

It is increasingly argued that contemporary capitalist nations have become ‘surveillance societies’ in which surveillance related activities are embedded as the core mode of organization, production and societal order (Lyon 1994, 2001, 2007). But what does it mean to live in a surveillance society and what economic, political and social relations are produced? These are the key questions addressed in this chapter.

Smart governance: Opportunities for technologically-mediated citizen co-production

at: https://doi.org/10.3233/IP-170065 Smart Governance: Opportunities for Technologically-mediated Citizen Co-production C. William R. Webster and Charles Leleux, Stirling Management School, University of Stirling Abstract Citizens increasingly contribute directly to the evolution of sustainable cities, in particular where new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) promise to transform urban governance into ‘Smart city governance’ and where ICTs are integrated in strategies for citizen participation and the co-production of public services and policy. This article provides a multidisciplinary understanding of Smart city governance, including new insights around the opportunities for citizen engagement in the co-production of service-delivery and decisionmaking. Using findings from a review of Smart cities literature and practice, the article aims to establish the breadth of Smart city initiatives which emphasise citizen participation and the realities of delivering such initiatives in complex city environments. Emphasising the emerging role of the technologically ‘empowered’ citizen, a new conceptual model is presented, where mutual trust, shared understanding and new opportunities for co-production emerge in an environment mediated by new technology – this form of Smart governance is referred to here as ‘technologically-mediated municipal reciprocity’.

Is Interactive Digital Television the Future of E-Government Services? A Critical Assessment of UK Initiatives

Abstract This article presents a critical assessment of the use of interactive Digital Television (iDTV) to deliver electronic government and public services in the UK. It considers the organisational and institutional context for innovation in service delivery, explores iDTV policy and practice in the UK, and draws on recent empirical research around three of the UKs most significant iDTV initiatives. This emerging evidence base suggests that although the provision of public services via iDTV is still in its infancy, with current initiatives not yet sufficiently advanced to support widespread provision and use, it has the potential to become an increasingly important complementary service platform.