Behind closed doors: Sousveillance in mandated social welfare interventions

Abstract

The Behind Closed Doors project is a qualitative research study considering sousveillance in mandated social welfare contexts. Sousveillance (the practice of recording people in authority without their consent) and sousveillance social media advocacy (posting sousveillance recordings publicly without consent) are significant phenomena effecting the delivery of contemporary mandated social services (e.g., child protective services; probation and parole; mandatory mental health intervention). Sousveillance video recordings shared online via social media (e.g., YouTube and TikTok) are analysed using multi-modal discourse analysis; individual interviews with client content creators, frontline social workers, union representatives and professional regulators supported a deeper understanding of the effect of sousveillance on workers, clients and organisations. The significance of sousveillance as a resource for shifting power relations in practice is also considered.