Anonymity - Self-creation

Thinking Allowed

BBC

Science, Society & Culture

4.4 • 973 Ratings

🗓️ 14 February 2024

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Anonymity and self creation: Laurie Taylor talks to Thomas DeGloma, Associate Professor of Sociology at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, about hidden identities and how and why we use anonymity, for good or ill. He explores a wide range of historical and contemporary cases, from the Ku Klux Klan to 'Dr H' the psychiatrist who disguised his identity in a meeting which changed his profession's regressive attitudes towards homosexuality. In recent years, anonymity has featured widely in the political and social landscape: from the pseudonymous artist, Banksy, to Hackers Anonymous and QAnon. What is anonymity, and why, under various circumstances, do individuals act anonymously? How do individuals use it, and, in some situations, how is it imposed on them?

Also, Tara Isabella Burton, Visiting Fellow at George Mason University's Mercatus Center, on the crafting of public personae, from Beau Brummell to the Kardashians. She finds the trend for personal branding, amongst ordinary people as well as celebrities, originated with the idea that we could shape our own destiny, once the power of the church had waned. What are the connections between the Renaissance genius and the Regency dandy, the Hollywood 'IT' girl and Reality TV star? Might there be social costs to seeing self-determination as the fundamental element of human life?

Producer: Jayne Egerton

Transcript

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0:00.0	Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, the Science of
0:07.0	Happiness Podcast.
0:08.0	For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want
0:14.4	to share that science with you.
0:16.1	And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley.
0:19.4	I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that
0:25.5	calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds. This is a thinkingoud Podcast from the BBC and for more details and much, much more about
0:37.5	thinking aloud. Go to our website at BBC.co.uk. Hello. A memory came rushing back to mind as I was reading a fine new book on the phenomenon of anonymity.
0:51.0	Quite suddenly, I remembered with awful clarity the moment back in the late, well, it would be the
0:56.4	1960s when I decided to become a famous actor. Now my first part was modest, little more than a few lines in Alan Owens play
1:05.9	Progress to the Park at Joan Littlewoods Strutford East Theatre.
1:10.3	But a week before I was due on stage, I was contacted by the Actors Union, Equity.
1:15.6	Sorry, they said, but you can't be Lorry Taylor.
1:19.4	We already have one Lorry Taylor on our books, so you'll have to come up with a with a new name
1:24.9	Bai it all meant that for seven days I was effectively nameless incognito
1:31.2	anonymous but this as I now realize after reading a new book was
1:36.1	only one small aspect of the phenomenon of anonymity. I was suffering from
1:41.5	imposed anonymity.
1:43.0	But I can now do justice to the whole,
1:46.0	because I'm joined by the author of anonymous,
1:48.0	the performance of hidden identities.
1:50.0	He is Thomas Degloma,
	...

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