The Prison House of the Circuit: Politics of Control from Analog to Digital

The Prison House of the Circuit explores the history of digital media using circuits and circuitry to understand how power operates in the contemporary era. It offers a provocative model for thinking about governance and media and includes five in-depth case studies investigating the transition from analog media to electronic and digital forms.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 328 pages
Publication date: 07 March 2023
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

The Prison House of the Circuit delves into the historical evolution of digital media, employing circuits and circuitry to explore the intricate dynamics of power in the contemporary world. Through the lens of the circuit, the authors present a thought-provoking model for understanding governance and media. Working collaboratively, they offer a framework for collective research and a genealogical approach that examines the rise of digital society through the prism of Foucault's concepts of governance, circulation, and power.

The book comprises five in-depth case studies that explore the transition from analog media to electronic and digital forms. These case studies encompass a range of topics, including military telegraphy and the integration of humans and machines, the establishment of national electronic biopolitical governance during World War I, the role of media in extending spatial and temporal policing, the emergence of automobility as a means of uniting mobility and media, and the evolution of visual augmentation from medieval spectacles to digital heads-up displays.

Through these case studies, The Prison House of the Circuit compellingly demonstrates how contemporary media has evolved to facilitate seamless circulation, aiming to maximize control, efficiency, and state power. The authors shed light on the mechanisms and strategies employed by governments and corporations to exert control over the digital realm, raising important questions about the implications of this shift for individual freedom, privacy, and social justice.

This thought-provoking book offers valuable insights into the complex relationship between technology, governance, and media in the modern world. It serves as a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, and policymakers seeking to understand the evolving dynamics of power and the implications of digital media on society.

Weight: 340g
Dimension: 216 x 140 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781517914172