Researching the Powerful

This book exemplifies the "public sociology" approach to sociological research popularised by Michael Burawoy, showcasing how an approach that focuses on the powerful can bring new insights into how our society works. As a collection of empirically-rich sociological writings on power, influence and decision-making in late capitalism, the book highlights the wide range of path-breaking research in the field and investigates the powerful - with a particular focus on corporate and state elites and their allies in policy think-tanks, lobby groups and PR firms - as part of a corrective to sociology as the study of the powerless.

Foreword Michael Burawoy 1. Public Sociology in the UK and the World: A View from Glasgow Lucy Brown, William Dinan, David Miller and Ludek Stavinoha Section 1: Public Policy and Corporate Power in Neoliberal Times 2. The Neoliberal Nation-State and the "Interests of Capital" Neil Davidson 3. Why is Alcohol Policy So Ineffective? Claire Harkins 4. The Political Economy of Water: The Struggle Over Water in Scotland Tommy Kane and Kyle Mitchell 5. Power Renewed: Neoliberal Energy Governance and Renewables Policy Lucy Brown 6. Lobbying: Corporate Agency Versus Civil Society Activism William Dinan Section 2: Security, Propaganda and the State 7. The Neoconservative International: Political Warfare and the War on Terror Tom Griffin 8. Policy Exchange, the Conservative Movement and the Neoconservative "Thought Collective" Tom Mills 9. Obeying Orders: Conor Cruise O'Brien, Authoritarian Ambiguity and Broadcasting Censorship in Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ) Niall Meehan 10. Winning Hearts and Minds in the War on Terror at Home: The Case of the RICU Rizwaan Sabir and David Miller Section 3: Communication, Knowledge and Power 11. Public Sociology as an Alternative Fourth Estate: The Case of the Democracy Institute Steven Harkins 12. Theorizing Communicative Power: Considering the Propaganda Model Jeffrey Klaehn 13. Elite Communication and the Spectre of the Public: TRIPS and Access to AIDS Medicines Ludek Stavinoha 14. How to Compromise Without Being Compromised Roy Revie 15. Coda: Public Sociology and the Struggle for Alternative Globalizations Leslie Sklair