Abstract

DA COSTA MARQUES, Ivan. The War of the Fingerprints: Identities, Hierarchies and Bodies. univ.humanist. [online]. 2013, n.76, pp.349-369. ISSN 0120-4807.

The construction of the modern (western) world is associated with a parade of new objects and new subjects, noted by historians, especially from the so-called first Industrial Revolution. Drawing on elements of a specific episode from the beginning of the XXth century, this work focuses on the emergence of new techno-scientific subjects and objects, or more precisely, sociotechnical. From January 5th, 2004, the U.S. began to collect fingerprints from anyone who presented himself/herself at its borders to enter the country. In response, at the same time, Brazil began to collect the fingerprints of the bearers of passports issued in the U.S. to try to enter Brazil. The Brazilian reaction sparked controversy in Brazil and the USA, as well as comments on other countries. The sequence of the discussions was branded as "the war of the fingerprints" by the Brazilian press. This brief study of the war of fingerprints highlights some relationships between bodies, hierarchies of identities and sociotechnical configurations among the ICT (information and communication technologies). The treatment of these issues, involving time, rights and precision, suggests the formation of a new body to light identification (and elimination) of the body terrorist.

Keywords : Biometrics; Identity; Body; Identity; Brazil; USA; Fingerprinting; Science and technology; Limits-Brazil; Border integration.

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