1,332 research outputs found
Envisioning technology through discourse: a case study of biometrics in the National Identity Scheme in the United Kingdom
Around the globe, governments are pursuing policies that depend on
information technology (IT). The United Kingdomâs National Identity Scheme
was a government proposal for a national identity system, based on
biometrics. These proposals for biometrics provide us with an opportunity to
explore the diverse and shifting discourses that accompany the attempted
diffusion of a controversial IT innovation. This thesis offers a longitudinal case
study of these visionary discourses.
I begin with a critical review of the literature on biometrics, drawing attention to
the lack of in-depth studies that explore the discursive and organizational
dynamics accompanying their implementation on a national scale. I then
devise a theoretical framework to study these speculative and future-directed
discourses based on concepts and ideas from organizing visions theory, the
sociology of expectations, and critical approaches to studying the publicâs
understanding of technology. A methodological discussion ensues in which I
explain my research approach and methods for data collection and analysis,
including techniques for critical discourse analysis. After briefly introducing the
case study, I proceed to the two-part analysis. First is an analysis of
government actorsâ discourses on biometrics, revolving around formal policy
communications; second is an analysis of media discourses and
parliamentary debates around certain critical moments for biometrics in the
Scheme.
The analysis reveals how the uncertain concept of biometrics provided a
strategic rhetorical device whereby government spokespeople were able to
offer a flexible yet incomplete vision for the technology. I contend that, despite being distinctive and offering some practical value to the proposals for
national identity cards, the governmentâs discourses on biometrics remained
insufficiently intelligible, uninformative, and implausible.
The concluding discussion explains the unraveling visions for biometrics in the
case, offers a theoretical contribution based on the case analysis, and
provides insights about discourses on the âpublicsâ of new technology such as
biometrics
Compendium of good practices in linking Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) and identity management systems
This compendium of research comes at a critical moment in the global communityâs journey toward inclusive sustainable development. It brings together good practices from countries that have made great effort to link civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems. The country studies show how systems have been developed from very different starting points, taking diverse paths. Building on the value of registering vital events and driving demand for high quality, robust population data is essential for realizing the benefits of CRVS and identity management systems. CRVS provides legal identity and a pathway for realizing human rights.Global Affairs Canad
Spartan Daily, April 30, 1974
Volume 62, Issue 43https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/5867/thumbnail.jp
Spartan Daily, September 26, 1977
Volume 69, Issue 16https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/6238/thumbnail.jp
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