Democracy in an Age of Corporate Colonization: Developments in Communication and the Politics of Everyday Life

by Stanley A. Deetz

According to Deetz, our obsolete understanding of communication processes and power relations prevents us from seeing the corporate domination of public decision making. For most people issues of democracy, representation, freedom of speech, and censorship pertain to the State and its relationship to individuals and groups, and are linked to occasional political processes rather than everyday life decisions. This work reclaims the politics of personal identity and experience within the work environment as a first step to a democratic form of public decision-making appropriate to the modern context.

412 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Sara Mcclellan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A critical theoretical perspective on corporate domination of public decision making. This book helps to clarify the role of communication (particularly relative to the linguistic turn) in elevating concepts of manager power ("managerialism"). It pulls heavily from Foucault's theory of diffused disciplinary power. I think it would be that much more powerful if written for those slightly less familiar with communication theory.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very difficult to read, but worthwhile.