A theory of concealment

Concealment, or the deliberate withholding of information from others, is of fundamental sociological interest. Yet, a general theoretical framework of concealment is missing from the sociological canon. This paper specifies a model that builds on and goes beyond existing accounts of concealment by emphasizing the desire for autonomy. I propose that the desire for autonomy, and the subjective assessment of concealment as the best route to achieve autonomy, lead individuals to attempt concealment. After specifying a dyadic model based on the concealer (ego) and the target of concealment (alter), I incorporate ego-alter power differentials, network dynamics, and norms about privacy and concealment into a multilevel model of how concealment is initiated and maintained.