Writing in their famous Harvard Law Review article of 1890, Louis Brandeis and Samuel Warren asserted what many have considered one of the most cherished American values: the "right to be let alone." Yet in this post-9/11 world, it seems that personal privacy is under siege. New threats to privacy have arisen in the face of competing social, political, and economic demands, rapid technological change, and an intrusive and voyeuristic mass media. Citizens are barraged on a daily basis with stories of corporate data mining, government surveillance programs, identity theft, and computer hacking of personal information. As a result, citizens are becoming increasingly concerned about their personal privacy as well as their privacy rights. This encyclopedia, the first of its kind, comprehensively overviews various aspects of privacy throughout U.S. history, including significant legal cases, events, laws, organizations, individuals, technology, and terms. With some 225 alphabetically arranged entries written by more than 100 leading scholars and experts in the field, this inclusive and authoritative work will appeal to those interested in both historical and contemporary notions of privacy in the United States. Readers will learn of the significance of technology in today's society, its helpful and harmful effects on citizens' privacy, and what to expect in the future. Entries Include:

Abortion

Anti-Wire Tap Statutes

Biometric Identifiers

Carnivore

COINTELPRO

Data Brokers

DNA and DNA Banking

Freedom of Information Act

Global Positioning Satellites

Identity Fraud

Library Records

National Identification Card

Open Meeting Laws

Privacy Torts

Right to Be Let Alone

Search Warrant

Social Security Number

Telecommunications Act of 1996

Telemarketing

United States Postal Service

USA Patriot Act

Workplace Privacy

And Many More. Entries cite print and electronic resources, and the Encyclopedia closes with a listing of books, organizations, websites, films, and other sources of information. FEATURES AND BENEFITS:

Includes some 225 alphabetically arranged entries written by more than 100 expert contributors.

Cites print and electronic resources for student research.

Covers a broad range of legal, political, social, and economic issues.

Focuses on current concerns.

Supports the social studies curriculum by helping students understand the evolution of the right to privacy, the threats to privacy in contemporary America, and the ethical issues surrounding technology in the modern world.

This two-volume encyclopedia compiled by Staples (sociology, U. of Kansas) explores cultural, social, and legal issues of privacy in the contemporary United States. The 226 alphabetical entries range from brief technical explanations of various technologies to extended meditations on, for example, the philosophical foundations of privacy. Coverage includes key concepts, events, legal cases and laws, organizations, technological developments, major figures, and ethical debates. In making his selections, Staples sought to ensure that different perspectives were included, especially those concerned with gender. Examples of entry subjects include anti-wiretap statutes, bar code readers and scanners, the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, fingerprints and fingerprinting, freedom of association, McCarthyism, the National Security Agency, privacy torts, traffic control cameras, transaction-generate data, voice identification, and voyeurism. A chronology of select events precedes the entries and the second volume concludes with a subject index and a resource guide to books, websites, organization, and films.
Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This two-volume encyclopedia compiled by Staples (sociology, U. of Kansas) explores cultural, social, and legal issues of privacy in the contemporary United States. The 226 alphabetical entries range from brief technical explanations of various technologies to extended meditations on, for example, the philosophical foundations of privacy. Coverage includes key concepts, events, legal cases and laws, organizations, technological developments, major figures, and ethical debates. In making his selections, Staples sought to ensure that different perspectives were included, especially those concerned with gender. Examples of entry subjects include anti-wiretap statutes, bar code readers and scanners, the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, fingerprints and fingerprinting, freedom of association, McCarthyism, the National Security Agency, privacy torts, traffic control cameras, transaction-generate data, voice identification, and voyeurism. A chronology of select events precedes the entries and the second volume concludes with a subject index and a resource guide to books, websites, organization, and films. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This work discusses the issues and controversies regarding privacy in the U.S. Arranged alphabetically, the encyclopedia covers 226 topics, including Atomatic teller machine, Credit rating, Electronic surveillance, Gossip, and Two-way mirrors, to name only a few. The entries range from a few paragraphs (Password protection) to several pages (Philosophical foundations of privacy), and each one includes a bibliography and cross-references. Topical and alphabetical lists of entries enhance the reference value of this volume. Especially useful are the numerous entries on court cases, with superb bibliographic references. The contributors are mostly law professors or other faculty and graduate students knowledgeable on the wide range of privacy issues....[t]his work is an outstanding source containing many hard-to-find topics and bibliographic references....[h]ighly recommended.Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin

Comprehensively overviews various aspects of privacy throughout U.S. history, including significant legal cases, events, laws, organizations, individuals, technology, and terms.

Writing in their famous Harvard Law Review article of 1890, Louis Brandeis and Samuel Warren asserted what many have considered one of the most cherished American values: the "right to be let alone." Yet in this post-9/11 world, personal privacy is more threatened than ever. This book provides students and general readers a comprehensive overview of privacy in contemporary America. Included are some 225 alphabetically arranged entries written by more than 100 expert contributors. Entries cover such topics as the USA PATRIOT act, abortion rights, wiretapping, telemarketing, identity theft, DNA databases, Internet and email privacy, and numerous other concerns. Entries cite works for further reading, and the Encyclopedia closes with a bibliography of books, websites, organizations, and films.

WILLIAM G. STAPLES is currently Professor and Chair of Sociology at the University of Kansas, the oldest sociology department in the United States. His books include Power, Profits, and Patriarchy: The Social Organization of Work at a British Metal Trades Firm, 1791-1922 (with Clifford L. Staples) (2001), Everyday Surveillance: Vigilance and Visibility in Postmodern Life(2000), and Castles of Our Conscience: Social Control and the American State, 1800-1985 (1991).