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Surveillance and Gender-Based Power Dynamics: Psychological Considerations

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The Palgrave Handbook of Power, Gender, and Psychology

Abstract

Surveillance is an increasingly prevalent feature of daily life and is carried out for a range of purposes across different settings. Although experiencing some form of surveillance is very common, it is necessary to examine differences in how surveillance is implemented, for what purposes, and how it is experienced, and to consider how those differences can reflect, and at times reinforce, power dynamics and imbalances within society. Even in situations where the primary purpose of surveillance is not the exercise of power, or when surveillance is applied broadly, irrespective of gender, surveillance practices can still further existing gendered power dynamics because of how they are implemented or experienced. This chapter examines social and psychological issues raised by the interaction between surveillance practices and gendered power imbalances in society, first reviewing theoretical perspectives from psychology and surveillance studies, then applying these perspectives to consider how surveillance practices interact with gender and power across different contexts, including prison, public benefits, pregnancy, and social media. We conclude by identifying theoretical considerations for scholarship that bridges feminist psychology and surveillance studies.

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Correspondence to Eileen L. Zurbriggen .

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© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

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Conrey, S.C., Zurbriggen, E.L. (2023). Surveillance and Gender-Based Power Dynamics: Psychological Considerations. In: Zurbriggen, E.L., Capdevila, R. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Power, Gender, and Psychology . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41531-9_9

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