Description
Book SynopsisAfter reading Silently Silenced you will never view the ways of government in quite the same light again. A must-read for all people who are interested in democratic processes particularly in relation to criminology, sociology or the law. This is the first English edition of a work that has also appeared in Norwegian, Swedish and German. A central theme of Silently Silenced is that there exist ‘numerous silent, suave and imperceptible methods and processes of silencing opposition which are structural, do not have clear-cut limits but are subtly unbounded, they absorb opposition, they are the methods and processes of everyday life brought into the political realm’. As Mathiesen points out, it is ‘disturbingly clear how easily and imperceptibly we are transformed into acquiescent human beings’. Silently Silenced concludes with a quest for a ‘revitalisation’ of opposition and critique.
Trade Review'A highly original and provocative book ... [Mathiesen is] a lone wolf in present day sociology [that] makes his books worth reading'Journal of Law and Society (Vol.33, No3).'A Remarkable little volume ... a stimulating and challenging collection of essays recommended to all with an interest in the processes of governance and government, especially those that relate to criminology ... 'Professor Jacqueline Toombs, Stirling University, Scolag Legal Journal, January 2006'Once again Mathiesen presents a text of both relevance and significance to the scholarly world on a topic that has largely evaded discussion up to the present time. This thought-provoking work will be useful to anyone interested in democracy and processes of government and the basic rights of citizens in relation to the state'.Ruth Penfold-Mounce, University of Leeds
Table of ContentsPreface to the English Edition, 2004; Introduction; Silent Silencing; Silencing Through Pulverisation; System and Silencing; Sociology - A Silenced Profession; Political Surveillance and Public Arena; A Meeting of Judges in Italy - A Travel Account; Panopticon and Synopticon as Silencing Systems; A Spiral Of Silence?; Bibliography; Index.
