Topic overview and open questions
In my previous blog posts, I’ve tried to explore the topic as broadly as possible and cover everything that came to mind regarding observation. Because the scope of the topic has become so broad, there are still a few open questions that I’d like to address over the summer. Here is a list of the questions and sub-topics that came up during my research but that I haven’t been able to answer yet, so I don’t lose them:
- the psychological effects of constant observation
- the concept of social presence
- feeling observed vs. feeling seen
- voyeurism and stalking
- observation amongst women
- the male gaze
- the objectification of women and it’s consequnces in relation to being observed
- digital observation and data collection
- Big Brother (?), not sure yet
- observation in regimes (e.g. DDR)
- observation in modern literature (George Orwell: 1984, Dave Eggers: The Circle)
- smart glasses and how they impact the feeling of being observed
- regarding hidden cameras in public restrooms:
- Who is responsible?
- How can the installation of hidden cameras be prevented?
- What role can design play?
- Analyzing interactions on public toilets -> How can they be improved so women feel saver?
- Can public spaces ever feel truly private?
- Do hidden cameras create distrust for public spaces?
- What does it mean if people cannot return the gaze of their observer?
Planning future research
My main goal is to do more research on the topics listed above to find out what aspect of observation interests me most. I think that, by focusing on observation as a form of passive interaction and on hidden cameras, I’ve already identified two key areas that interest me a lot and that I’d like to explore further. Still, it would certainly be helpful to gain a general overview of the entire subject area.
In october / november I want to narrow the topic down to a specific research question that I can then focus on.
Literature collection
To get a head start on my research for the summer, I’ve already begun collecting relevant literature. I used ChatGPT to generate a list of keywords, which I then used to search the OPAC of the Augsburg University Library. I’ll also need to order some of the books through the Bavaria-wide interlibrary loan service. Since I’ll be spending most of the summer break at my parents’ house, this was the most logical choice for me, as it’s only 40 km from there to Augsburg, giving me easier access to the literature on site. Nevertheless, I also found a few books at the library in Graz that I’m sure I’ll be able to get my hands on as well. Here is a list of the works I was able to find during my initial search:
- Spiekermann, Sarah (2016). Ethical IT innovation: a value-based system design approach. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group.
- Klar, Manuel (2012). Datenschutzrecht und die Visualisierung des öffentlichen Raums. LIT.
- Öztürk, Fatih (2022). Self and subjectivity in the twentieth century dystopian fiction. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
- Hijmans, Hielke (2016). The European Union as guardian of internet privacy. Springer
- Kumpf, Benjamin (2017). Smart Cars – eine datenschutzrechtliche Analyse. Verlag Dr. Kovač
- Richter, Volker (2009). Beobachtet und bewertet werden. LIT
- Carah, Nicholas (2021). Media & society: power, platforms, & participation. SAGE
- Klamt, Martin (2007). Verortete Normen: öffentliche Räume, Normen, Kontrolle und Verhalten. VS Verl. Für Sozialwiss.
- Lefkeli, Deniz (2026). The Corporate Gaze: The Impact of Data Collection on Consumer Behaviour. Palgrave Macmillan
- Schmitt, Martin (2026). Internet im Kalten Krieg: Eine Vorgeschichte des globalen Kommunikationsnetzes. transcript
- Goffman, Erving (2009). Interaktion im öffentlichen Raum. Campus Verlag
- Goffman, Erving (2014). Verhalten in sozialen Situationen: Strukturen und Regeln der Interaktion im öffentlichen Raum. Birkhäuser
- Hahl, Olaf (1986). Alltagskommunikation im öffentlichen Raum: verbale Begegnungen zwischen Fremden. [Dissertation, Freie Universität Berlin West]
I’ve highlighted the most important sources in bold; the others may only be relevant in a marginal way.
