The Application of Critical Social Theory to National Security Research

1
The Application of Critical Social Theory to
National Security Research

• Holly Tootell
• University of Wollongong

2
Location-Based Services

• Scope for this research includes
• RFID
• GPS and GIS
• Mobile service
• LBS can be used to identify the location of an
  information device, and in some instances the
  whereabouts of the user who owns it

3
National Security

• Not just terrorism
• Events of national security can include
• National disasters tsunami, earthquake
• Border control
• Transportation security
• Critical infrastructure protection
• Intelligence gathering
• Emergency preparedness

4
LBS being used for national security
5
A Critical Approach

• Where interpretive researchers seek to maintain
  the status quo (Walsham, 2005), critical
  researchers seek to emancipate subjects.
• Particularly in critical IS research, the aim is
  to expose attempts to
• design and (mis)use IS to deceive, manipulate,
• exploit, dominate and disempower people.
• (Cecez-Kecmanovic, 2001).

6
Critical Social Theory

• The primary objective of CST is the improvement
  of the human condition (Ngwenyama, 1991).
• The questioning of the neutrality of technology
  is essential to understand the social impact of
  new schemes.

7
Critical Social Theory
8
Integrating NS and CST

• In each of the national security technology
  studies, a particular application of the
  technology is examined, which allows for an
  in-depth understanding of the system to occur,
• But it does not examine the impact these
  technologies can have when applied outside the
  realm of national security application.

9
Content Analysis

• To uncover reactions and trends
• September 11
• Bali Bombing
• London Bombing
• SARS
• Preliminary results show a wave trend with key
  points of interest
• Immediately
• 3 months
• 12 months

10
The Price of Security

• The Price of Security is a concept that will be
  used to determine the trade-off that needs to be
  made when a new location-based technology is
  implemented as a solution to national security
• Complete CCTV in cities
• Biometric identification for passports
• Curb-to-curb surveillance
• RFID implants

11
Conclusion

• What this research is proposing is a way of
  understanding the impact LBS will have if applied
  as solutions to national security issues.

12
Questions?

• Holly Tootell
• School of IT and CS
• University of Wollongong
• PhD Research