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Domestic Boundaries

Privacy, Visibility and the Norwegian Window

Pauline Garvey

National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Ireland, Pauline.a.garvey{at}nuim.ie

The article presents an exploration of domestic borders in the Norwegian town of Skien. Differences between homes may be minimal, however the differentiation between homes, can occasionally, be marked (Wallman, 1978: 203). This observation has relevance for Norwegian and Somali households whereby perceptions of domestic boundaries, visibility and definitions of privacy are analysed. The domestic window is shown to provide one material medium for the negotiation of ethnic identity and social classification. I argue notions of the private are dynamic and contextual and frequently have less to do with ‘being seen’ than with a perception of the social gaze. Consequently, looking at ethnic minorities, Norwegian locals and the private home in Skien does not just imply investigating the link between visibility and privacy but questioning the ideas on which this link is based, and rethinking notions of privacy itself.

Key Words: ethnicity • privacy • public and private boundaries • windows

Journal of Material Culture, Vol. 10, No. 2, 157-176 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/1359183505053073
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