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The Eye Within: Self-Censorship And The Internalization Of State Surveillance Amongst Arab Americans
Access Type
WSU Access
Date of Award
January 2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Sociology
First Advisor
R. Khari Brown
Abstract
This thesis examines how Arab Americans experience and navigate state surveillance, particularly in relation to political expression and civic engagement. Based on in-depth interviews with twenty participants in Metro Detroit, the study employs thematic analysis grounded in Foucauldian panopticism and Selod’s framework of racialized surveillance. Findings reveal that surveillance is not merely structural but deeply embodied—shaping how individuals speak, move, and interact, both online and offline. Participants reported strategic self-censorship, calculated silences, and the development of what this study terms “digital double-consciousness”—a constant negotiation between solidarity and self-protection. While prior literature emphasized political withdrawal post-9/11, this study finds that recent geopolitical events, particularly the Gaza war, have spurred renewed activism despite surveillance risks. Demographic variations by age, gender, and immigration status shape these responses. Rather than silence, Arab Americans exhibit nuanced forms of political engagement—deliberate, contingent, and deeply aware of the risks embedded in visibility.
Recommended Citation
Chahine, Yasmin, "The Eye Within: Self-Censorship And The Internalization Of State Surveillance Amongst Arab Americans" (2025). Wayne State University Theses. 1003.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_theses/1003