The Politics of Economic Life (Routledge Innovations in Political Theory)

In Recent Years, Economic Life Has Become Increasingly Politicized: Now, Every Company Has A 'philosophy', Promising Its Customers Some Ethical Surplus In Return For Buying Their Products; Consumers Shop For Change; Workers Engage In Individualized Forms Of Employee Activism Such As Whistleblowing; And Governments Contribute To The Re-configuration Of The Economic Sphere As A Site Of Political Contestation By Reminding Corporate And Private Economic Actors Of Their Duty To 'do Their Bit'. The Politics Of Economic Life Addresses This Trend By Exploring The Ways In Which Practices Of Consumption, Work, Production, And Entrepreneurship Are Imbued With Political Strategy And Ideology, And Assesses The Potentials And Perils Of The Politicization Of Economic Activity For Democracy In The 21st Century.-- Acknowledgments -- The Politicization Of Economic Activity -- Towards A Micro-political Approach To Economic Life -- The Marketplace As A Site Of Politics -- Work And The World Of Micropolitics -- Shopping For Change? -- Political (by-)products Of Economic Production -- Entrepreneurial Space Production -- Faraway, So Close -- References -- Picture Credits -- Index. Martin Beckstein. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 143-162) And Index. In recent years, economic life has become increasingly politicized: now, every company has a 'philosophy', promising its customers some ethical surplus in return for buying their products; consumers shop for change; workers engage in individualized forms of employee activism such as whistleblowing; and governments contribute to the re-configuration of the economic sphere as a site of political contestation by reminding corporate and private economic actors of their duty to 'do their bit'. The Politics of Economic Life addresses this trend by exploring the ways in which practices of consumption, work, production, and entrepreneurship are imbued with political strategy and ideology, and assesses the potentials and perils of the politicization of economic activity for democracy in the 21st century.-- Provided by publisher The Politics of Economic Life explores the ways by which practices of consumption, work, production and entrepreneurship can be imbued with political strategy and ideology, and assesses the potentials and perils of the politicization of economic activity for democracy in the 21st century. The Politics of Economic Life addresses the ways in which practices of consumption, work, production and entrepreneurship can be imbued with political strategy and ideology.