Newswise — As society continues to evolve socially, technologically and politically, so does the issue of privacy. Who is entitled to it? When? To what extent?
The Encyclopedia of Privacy, edited by William G. Staples, professor and chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of Kansas, takes a comprehensive look at the issue of privacy in the United States today and throughout history.
The product of more than two years worth of work, the two-volume encyclopedia contains 226 entries, ranging from brief technical explanations of various computer technologies to lengthy essays exploring the philosophical, cultural and legal bases of our understandings and beliefs about privacy.
"The essays were written by experts from a variety of fields from the social sciences, law, technology studies, criminal justice and the like," Staples said. "More than a hundred of some of the most notable and accomplished scholars, technology experts, policy practitioners and privacy advocates reflecting an amazingly diverse group ultimately took up the challenge."
Staples was assisted in the project by an advisory board that included David J. Brown, managing attorney of The Law Offices of David J. Brown, LC, in Lawrence; Susan E. Gallagher, associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts; and Jill Joline Myers, assistant professor of law enforcement and justice administration at Western Illinois University.
"We hope that the book will find its ways into public libraries, high schools and universities," Staples said. "So we believed the work deserved only the highest level of scholarship.
"The quality of the essays from advisory board members and other experts reflects not only the breadth of scholarship in the field of privacy studies, but the contributors' own deep understandings and nuanced reading of the issues at hand," Staples said.
Entries in the encyclopedia are arranged alphabetically with minimal use of jargon. Each narrative explains the term, describes its importance and relevance to privacy and often includes concrete examples.
The first volume begins with a "Chronology of Selected Privacy-Related Events" that includes the dates that government acts became law, court decisions were decreed and various organizations were founded, Staples said. The timeline helps set a historical context and provides a sense of the trajectory of historical developments.
In addition to the alphabetical listings, there is also a topical list of entries designed to provide the reader a better overall understanding of the project, Staples said.
Finally, a detailed subject index for the entire encyclopedia appears in the last pages of the second volume. Also included are a number of tools to direct readers seeking more information beyond the encyclopedia. Each entry is followed by a number of suggested readings that offer the user more detailed information on the topic. A more general resource guide appears at the end of volume two that includes a selected bibliography of key books on privacy, as well as a list of relevant Web sites, organizations, films and documentaries.
The encyclopedia is a continuation of Staples' exploration of privacy issues. He is the author of Everyday Surveillance: Vigilance and Visibility in Postmodern Life (2000) and a number of articles on the topic. Staples received his doctorate from the University of Southern California and was a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA.
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