Private Eyes and Ears: Covert Surveillance in American Life, 1865-1941
People Involved
Project overview
This project examines the covert surveillance conducted by private investigators in the United States prior to World War Two, activities that ensured that, despite the restricted apparatus of the government, being watched was an everyday experience for many Americans. By focusing on the work of individual investigators, the project will provide a framework for interpreting personal surveillance and, by examining the circulation of individuals and practices between the private sector and government that extended state surveillance beyond the scope allowed by the Constitution, offer a new perspective on the American state and its surveillance apparatus, and ideas of freedom.
Australia’s political engagement with the United States is central to its foreign and domestic policies. Encounters with American culture are a regular part of Australians’ daily lives. Enhancing the capacity to interpret the United States is therefore crucial to the Priority Goal of “Understanding our region and the world.” The project provides a historical perspective on the attitudes that underpin American responses to terrorism, and on ideas of freedom that are crucial to interpreting American foreign policy. It develops a framework for thinking about personal surveillance that can also contribute to discussions of Australia’s own responses to terrorism.
- ARC Discovery Grant, 2008-2010