Summaries and Responses to Two Articles Pertaining to my Research

For this blog post I will be summarizing and responding to two articles that I found on the UWT Library database “World Cat”. The first article is entitled “Investigating Privacy Attitudes and Behavior in Relation to Personalization” and the second article is entitled “International Differences in Information Privacy Concerns: A Global Survey of Consumers”. These articles pertain to my research topic, which I think I have narrowed down to “How Modern Media affects Personal Privacy Standards”.

 

Article 1- Summary and Response- “Investigating Privacy Attitudes and Behavior in Relation to Personalization”

Summary:

                This article argues that personality traits and musical preferences can reflect a person’s attitude on their personal privacy. It also states that there are inconsistencies between privacy attitudes and privacy behaviors in the context of shopping online. The article does cite several conflicting hypotheses that have to do with these inconsistencies, such as “study participants expressing attitudes outside of the context of specific privacy dilemmas and contact with researchers” (Van de Garde-Perik et al, 2008). Van de Garde- Perik et al (2008) approached this study from a very scientific perspective. Although there are undertones of psychology, sociology, economics and even music, the article was written from a scientific study perspective, with methods, results, discussion, conclusion, and everything needed for another researcher to go and repeat the study.

Response:

            I found it interesting that a person’s musical choice can reflect their attitude on privacy. This is exactly what I am looking for as far as media influencing how we determine our privacy boundaries. Maybe we know something is wrong, or it doesn’t feel right, but because we hear it in a song or see it on tv we think that there is something wrong with us for feeling that way. If the “whole world” (media world) says it’s okay, then it must be okay. I cannot wait to delve deeper into this topic.

Article 2- Summary and Response- “ International Differences in Information Privacy Concerns: A Global Survey of Consumers”

Summary:

            In this article, Bellemen et al (2004) examine three potential reasons that there are diffeneces in internet privacy concerns revealed by national regulations. The first reason is that these resons are potentially linked to cultural values and differences, the second being that these differences are correlated to difference in internet experience, and the third being that the reflect the separate desires of political institutions without exactly reflecting the privacy preferences of the citizens.

Response:

            This article is an extremely interesting article, and again, along the exact lines of my research. Obviously what we feel is our privacy here in America may not be the same as what someone in India feels is their privacy. Privacy changes from country to country and this article does a solid job of addressing some of the reasons that might be, with particular emphasis on the internet, which is in the realm of media.

 

 

References

Bellman S, Johnson E, Kobrin S, Lohse G, 2004. International Differences in Information Privacy Concerns: A Global Survey of Consumers. The Information Society. 20:313-324.

Van de Garde- Perik E. Markopoulos P. de Ruyter B. Eggen B. Ijsselsteijn W. 2008. Investigating Privacy Attitudes and Behavior in Relation to Personalization. Social Science Computer Review. Accessed online at http://ssc.sagepub.com.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/content/26/1/20.full.pdf+html on April 23, 2013.

Surveillance- Literature and Literal

            In David Lyon’s article “From Big Brother to Electric Panopticon”, he argues that George Orwell’s novel, “1984” has been surpassed in the technological realm, but some of the novel’s aspects of surveillance are still relevant to discuss today. According to the article, (Lyon, 1994) “while Nineteen Eighty-Four has in many ways been superseded technologically, limited but important aspects of its account of a surveillance society still remain relevant today”. It seems as though this article is intended for an audience of literary scholars. I say this because even at the beginning of the article, Lyon states (Lyon, 1994) “When I tell people that I am studying surveillance, and in particular investigating the ways that our personal details are stored in computer databases, the most common reaction is to invoke George Orwell”. This would not be a common response from a person who does not study literature. The article also invokes history, sociology, literature, and even a bit of law. The article is definitely intended for an academic audience, with undertones of relating to the every-day individual. I found the article interesting because it attempted to make an older work on surveillance from 1949 relevant to today’s ever changing surveillance society. This is not an easy feat to accomplish because surveillance has changed so much in the last decade, let alone the last 60-70 years.

 In Charles Duhigg’s article “How Companies Learn Your Secrets”, he discusses many points and purposes, the main one being that companies go to great lengths to learn personal information about their customers for marketing purposes. He has a recurring theme in the article that ties to my “umbrella purpose” of the article. This point is that when a woman is pregnant, companies like Target try to market to you like crazy. As the author says, (Duhigg, 2012)” new parents are a retailer’s Holy Grail”. This article is intended for the audience of the everyday person, with particular emphasis on mothers, fathers and family people. The article incorporated economics in a major way, as well as psychology, sociology, and even a bit of anthropology. I found the article very interesting for a couple of reasons. Although it was a pretty lengthy read, it really shed light on what lengths companies are willing to go to in order to get your personal information and better market their products to you. I also think that the invasiveness of how these companies go about doing these things is pretty eye opening. I completely agreed with this article because I notice these things all the time in my own life. If I am looking at a video on YouTube and the video finishes, YouTube then prompts me with different videos of people I watched earlier in the day, or last week even. If I am on Google and I look up some cologne to buy, I log on to Facebook and all I see are cologne advertisements. The whole idea is pretty wild to me and I feel like my privacy has been invaded in many ways, but not so much in others. It is a weird dynamic that is different for each person and that is why it is important that people know about these things.

References:

Duhigg C. 2012. How Companies Learn Your Secrets. New York Times. Accessed via internet at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/magazine/shopping-habits.html?_r=1&ref=targetcorporation on April 16, 2012.

Lyon D. 1994. From Big Brother To Electric Panopticon. The Electronic Eye- The Rise of Surveillance Society. Accessed online at: http://bb.tacoma.uw.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_992_1%26url%3D on April 16, 2012.

Bentham and Foucalt- The Panopticon (This is a bit more than 400 words, but I have a lot to cover so please bare with me!)

Panopticon- Jeremy Bentham

 

                Bentham believes that the Panopticon, which will soon be described, can be an applicable feature to any establishment in a, as he puts it, “not too large” of a space (which is not exactly properly defined). This space must be a building, where people are meant to be kept under inspection (such as prisons, hospitals, schools and/or factories). This theory came about because Bentham proposes that perfection in an establishment of any kind would require that a person should be in a state of observation, or perceived observation, at all times. Since this is almost impossible, enter the Panopticon theory. Bentham proposes the theory of the Panopticon, which is a theory that initiates in a subject the reason to believe that he/she is being watched. Bentham believes the Panopticon to be a skillful and inventive way of precautionary surveillance, and has quite specific criteria for his idea.

                Bentham envisions a circular building with cells that occupy the circumference of that building. These cells would be divided so that prisoners are secluded from intercommunication. Something that he calls an “inspector’s lodge” would occupy the center of this building with an “intermediate/annular area” between the lodge and the cells. Outside of the building to the lodge would be a “passage” about the width of a single cell. Each cell would have a window that lets in light and the cell would be made of an iron grating so that the inspector could see everything that is occurring. The grating would open as a door, and this opening would be “sufficiently large”. There would also be part ions between cells so that there was no prisoner to prisoner viewing.

                As for the inspector’s lodge, Blinds on windows would be present at about eye level with the prisoners. There would be removable partitions, and the apartment would be divided into quarters. Windows would open to the intermediate area, and small lamps on the outside of the windows would have reflectors to shine light into each cell. A crude microphone made of thin metal tubing would be present from each cell to the lodge and a bell and rope would serve as an alarm. Bentham goes more in depth, and discusses how water would be afforded to prisoners and even how their “filth” would be disposed of. He went quite in depth on his theory.

 

Michel Foucalt- Discipline and Punish- The birth of the Prison

                Foucalt discusses how the Panopticon “reverses the principal of the dungeon” which is to enclose, deprive of light, and to hide, and it makes it possible to instead “see constantly and recognize immediately”. I found this quote interesting because it is in concurrence with what Bentham is trying to accomplish, and shows that Foucalt is a supporter of the idea. One thing Foucalt did note was that the Panopticon only preserves the first portion of the dungeon theory which is to enclose. Foucalt goes on to discuss how the Panopticon abolishes collective effects, no matter which group you have in the Panopticon; be in prisoners, workers, patients or school children. There is a lack of collectiveness within the theoretical Panopticon.

                Foucalt really touches on the power aspect of the panopticon theory, and this is a comparison to Bentham. He states that “surveillance is continuous in its effects, even if it is discontinuous in its action” with the Panopticon theory. An inmate never truly knows for sure if he is being looked at but always could possibly be watched. This quote also interested me very much. It reminds me of Schrodinger’s cat, and how the probability of the cat being dead or alive is equal, so in reality the cat is in a state of being both dead and alive. This is a case in which the prisoner would have an equal chance of being watched or not being watched, so theoretically, the prisoner would always be being watched, whether or not he truly IS in fact being watched, because there is equal probability of the two. In short, Foucalt praises the idea of the Panopticon, but puts a bit of his own two cents in as to the potential effects.

who Am I?...And What Did I Read About This Week?

INTRODUCTION

My name is Mark Friedman and I am a senior, double majoring in the Environmental Science (BS) and Environmental Studies (BA) programs at the University of Washington Tacoma. I am also completing a geo track with these degrees. I have taken many geology classes, including geology 101, physical geology, geologic catastrophes, sedimentology, field geology, environmental geology, and I completed my capstone with a sedimentology research project with Dr. Sian Davies- Vollum and Dr. Peter Selkin of UWT, working to identify wind-blown sediments in the Sarmiento formation in the Gran Barranca region of Argentina.

This is my first attempt at writing a blog, and I am looking forward to the experience! I was born and raised in Federal Way, and am a native Washingtonian. I love to camp, fish, hike, gold pan, play sports (mainly basketball and football), and I also enjoy a good game of madden now and again. I am a musician, and I have been writing and recording music for over 15 years. I have a wonderful, loving and supportive family and a fantastic girlfriend. I have spent two and a half years at UWT and I am so close to graduating that I can taste it! As much as I feed off of a learning environment and I have loved the time I have spent at UWT, I am very excited to enter the “real world” so to speak, and get my “real life” and career started.

Me and my girlfriend Stefani in Seattle (2012)

 

 

 

Lyon Summary of Chapter 3- Explaining Surveillance

 



 

                In David Lyon’s book “Surveillance Studies- An Overview”, he states that “By looking historically at how explanations of surveillance have developed, analytically at how surveillance processes and practices work, and critically at what the main outcomes of surveillance are, we can put together an account of the causes, courses, and consequences of surveillance.”.  Summing it up in my own words, Lyon is saying that by looking, throughout history, at how explanations of surveillance have grown and how surveillance processes operate, as well as by observing the results and consequences of surveillance, we can piece together the causes, paths, and consequences behind the process of surveillance.

                I find this quote interesting because toward the beginning of chapter three (Explaining Surveillance) Lyon states that surveillance is an ongoing topic of conversation, and that there are concepts and ideas that ring true throughout the discussion of surveillance, and these topics should be explored, but not dwelled on. It seems that in saying it is possible to put together a vision of the causes, paths, and consequences behind surveillance, we are not only dwelling on concepts, but considering these concepts as fact. The difficulty of this book may contribute to my misunderstanding of the difference between these two statements, but it seems as if Lyon is contradicting himself a bit. Lyon also states that knowledge is sought on the subject of surveillance. Maybe his meaning is that this knowledge is sought in an attempt to put together all of the pieces to the metaphorical surveillance puzzle.

When looking at causes of surveillance, my take is that Lyon is referring to mainly militarily gained peace through war, among other topics. Regarding paths, or “courses” of surveillance, Lyon speaks on how surveillance increases itself by means of both real and perceived increases of crime rate based on current surveillance. In other words, surveillance is somewhat of a vicious cycle superseding itself. Lastly, with respect to consequences of surveillance, I believe Lyon is referring mostly to “counterveillance”. A term used to explain a community’s response to surveillance. Most commonly, this is the act of the observed observing the observer in an attempt to get around being a subject of surveillance.

This is an extremely dense book, with multiple references to a myriad of authors and surveillance pioneers, and the read is an extremely difficult one. I hope that this short synopsis has shed some light on what I have learned from chapter three in Lyon’s book. I will be continuing to attempt to make sense of what I read, and put it into more digestible terms for the readers of this blog.