Drake, F (2011) Protesting mobile phone masts: Risk, neoliberalism, and governmentality. Science Technology and Human Values, 36 (4). 522 - 548. ISSN 0162-2439
Abstract
Studies of protests against mobile phone masts typically concentrate on the potential health risks associated with mobile phones and their masts. Beck's Risk Society has been particularly influential in informing this debate. This focus on health, however, has merely served to limit the discussion to those concerns legitimated by science conveniently ignoring other disputed issues. In contrast, this article contends that it is necessary to use a wider notion of risk to understand fully how the current political emphasis on active citizenship may have contributed to the protests. It examines how neoliberal governmentality and the move to empower people are in contention with one another. The study draws upon case material from a small village protest group in United Kingdom and argues that much of the tension arises from the encouragement of the public on one hand to become active citizens but on the other to be passive consumers.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2011, Sage Publications. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Science Technology and Human Values. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | mobile telecommunications; risk society; governmentality; citizenship; health-risks; scientific citizenship; participation; governance; politics; science; policy; expectations; uncertainty; education |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Geography (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 27 Nov 2013 12:26 |
Last Modified: | 29 Mar 2018 16:06 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0162243910366149 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Sage Publications |
Identification Number: | 10.1177/0162243910366149 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:76945 |