Church and the Informatically Controlled Society

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleCrkva i informaticki kontrolisano drustvo
3. Language term Serbian
4. lemma author Stevanovic, Aleksandra
5. lemma category Orthodox view on technology and engineering
6. Publication date 31-1-2017
7. lemma work Subotic, Oliver [Author]. Informationally Controlled Society
8. lemma manifestations Informationally controlled society - Belgrade: Bernar, 2011.
9. Keywords
   1. Subotic, Oliver
   2. Bernar
10. Keywords Information technology - Orthodoxy and information technologies - Privacy
11. Lemma body

    1. The book Informatically Controlled Society by deacon Oliver Subotic was compiled from his doctoral dissertation obtained at the University of Belgrade. The theme explored in the book is the control of the population through information technology, reduction of public privacy, as well as through mass media that directs the general behaviour.

       The author starts by pointing at the existence and practice of electronic surveillance of the population through information and communication technologies, which is certainly not a recent phenomenon. However, in the 21st century, it has been intensified under the excuse of public safety.

       The surveillance based on automatic data processing introduces a series of social implications, such as conformity primarily reflected in restraint from various activities for the sake of conforming to an ideal electronic profile.

       Along with the “panoptic” influence of the surveillance on citizens’ behaviour, there is the phenomenon of “synopticism”, representing  the mass-media influence on certain attitudes, as well as on latent population directing towards the desired model of behaviour. The simultaneous action of electronic surveillance and mass-media also shows the intertwining of power structures mainly tied to government agencies and corporate capital aiming at establishing the high level of the control over social dynamics.

       The book abounds with elaborate theoretical consideration of informationally controlled society, demands and conditions enabling the origin of it, historical development, multitude of case studies set in different countries and the possible implications of this kind of social model.

       Taking into consideration the fact that the author has diverse theoretical and education background – theology and information technologies, it cannot be doubted that this book has particular significance in the dialogue of science and religion. It has provoked a dillema regarding the basic human right to privacy, which is the concern of the Church as well and an issue deacon Subotic has been exploring in a plethora of scientific articles, conferences and public lectures.