Rhythm and Vigilance: Ethnographies of Surveillance and Time

Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

Studies of surveillance have emphasised how technology is used to control space. This innovative collection examines how new monitoring technologies are also affecting the experience of time.

Drawing on Henri Lefebvre’s concept of rhythm, the book brings together ethnographic research from Europe, China and the US, to show how digital monitoring is transforming spatio-temporal relations across the Global North.

As digital technologies continue to reshape the rhythms of life, this book makes a valuable contribution to both anthropology and surveillance studies.

© 2025 Bristol University Press (Ebook): 9781529246537

Release date

Ebook: May 16, 2025