Technology's role in the social construction of American privacy, 1890-present

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dc.contributor.advisorTankard, James W.en
dc.creatorStevens, John Richard, 1974-en
dc.date.accessioned2011-08-03T16:23:13Zen
dc.date.available2011-08-03T16:23:13Zen
dc.date.issued2004-05en
dc.descriptiontexten
dc.description.abstractThe histories of American technology and American privacy norms were connected using Stewart Brand’s six layers of civilization (Fashion/art, Commerce, Infrastructure, Governance, Culture, and Nature) to describe shifts in cultural authority over time. The study shows that privacy rhetoric is most often a cultural resistance to periods of technological change, and that over time this rhetoric has called for and received authority from different layers of cultural authority. The study shows how institutional forces (social pressure, then tort law, finally constitutional law) have become increasingly politicized since the Constitution was written, leading Americans to rely on increasingly shallower and superficial layers of cultural negotiation to solve social problems (relying on speed, not permanence). This trend leads the researcher to conclude that future appeals will not likely be resolved by nature, culture or law, but by the infrastructure layer (technology) or even higher levels of cultural authority.
dc.description.departmentJournalism and Mediaen
dc.format.mediumelectronicen
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2152/12812en
dc.language.isoengen
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author. Presentation of this material on the Libraries' web site by University Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin was made possible under a limited license grant from the author who has retained all copyrights in the works.en
dc.rights.restrictionRestricteden
dc.subjectPrivacy, Right of--United States--Historyen
dc.subjectTechnology--Social aspects--United States--Historyen
dc.titleTechnology's role in the social construction of American privacy, 1890-presenten
thesis.degree.departmentJournalismen
thesis.degree.disciplineJournalismen
thesis.degree.grantorThe University of Texas at Austinen
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophyen

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