Redefining Privacy in Reflexive Modernity: An Intergenerational Research

Abstract

This study focuses on the historical changes in the concept of privacy-both at the level of the individual and at the level of society. These changes have been evaluated in relation to the question of modernity. With the advent of information socie-ty, modernity developed a dimension of thoughtfulness. In other words, evolution has changed many layers of society. This change has affected the public and the private space, especially at the level of the individual. The borders between the public and the private have been transformed. Along with reflexive modernity, the use of new communication technologies has shifted the boundaries between individuals and geographies. As a result, and sharing and communication have gained a global dimension. In this process, the emergence of surveillance and the spread of social-sharing platforms has reshaped and transformed the phenomenon of privacy. In today's information society, privacy is conceived differently by different peo-ple. People's conceptions are also influenced by inherited meanings. In addition, the following aspects related to privacy are also conceived differently: social changes, media use, global indicators, religion, surveillance, and risk society. The research adopts a phenomenological approach. It involved interviews with women and men from three distinct generations. The interviews showed that some of the aspects related to privacy have been conceived similarly across generations, whereas some aspects have been conceived differently. As a result, the question of confidentiality cannot be defined in a clear and definite manner.