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Digital Weberianism: Bureaucracy, Information, and the Techno-rationality of Neoliberal Capitalism

Christopher Muellerleile Orcid Logo, Susan L. Robertson

Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, Volume: 25, Issue: 1, Start page: 187

Swansea University Author: Christopher Muellerleile Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.2979/indjglolegstu.25.1.0187

Abstract

The social infrastructures that constitute both public and private administration are increasingly entangled with digital code, big data, and algorithms. While some argue these technologies have blown apart the strictures of bureaucratic order, we see more subtle changes at work. We suggest that far...

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Published in: Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies
ISSN: 1080-0727
Published: Indiana University Press 2018
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa33093
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spelling 2020-10-07T11:34:00.9011009 v2 33093 2017-04-26 Digital Weberianism: Bureaucracy, Information, and the Techno-rationality of Neoliberal Capitalism 62c8e47d6145081a464eadba0ff5c942 0000-0001-9685-6345 Christopher Muellerleile Christopher Muellerleile true false 2017-04-26 SGE The social infrastructures that constitute both public and private administration are increasingly entangled with digital code, big data, and algorithms. While some argue these technologies have blown apart the strictures of bureaucratic order, we see more subtle changes at work. We suggest that far from a radical rupture, in today’s digitizing society, there are strong traces of the logic and techniques of Max Weber’s bureau; a foundational concept in his account of the symbiotic relationship between modernity, capitalism, and social order. We suggest the manner through which these techniques have shaped contemporary systems of social administration helps explain the remarkable legitimacy digital governance has acquired. We do this by exploring how digital technologies draw from, and give new substance to, the three key principles of Weber’s theory of the bureau—efficiency, objectivity, and rationality. We argue that neoliberalism, or the widespread economization of politics, has conditioned the digital versions of these principles, not least by subordinating social ends to technical means. At the same time we argue that digitalism engenders the privatization of authority, not least through its “elective affinity” with market logics. Journal Article Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies 25 1 187 Indiana University Press 1080-0727 bureaucracy, Max Weber, social order, data, digital, information technology, control, rationality, neoliberalism 11 4 2018 2018-04-11 10.2979/indjglolegstu.25.1.0187 COLLEGE NANME Geography COLLEGE CODE SGE Swansea University 2020-10-07T11:34:00.9011009 2017-04-26T10:03:44.8840053 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography Christopher Muellerleile 0000-0001-9685-6345 1 Susan L. Robertson 2 0033093-09032018150610.pdf Muellerleile-Robertson-DigitalWeberianism.pdf 2018-03-09T15:06:10.0570000 Output 506658 application/pdf Accepted Manuscript true 2019-10-11T00:00:00.0000000 true eng
title Digital Weberianism: Bureaucracy, Information, and the Techno-rationality of Neoliberal Capitalism
spellingShingle Digital Weberianism: Bureaucracy, Information, and the Techno-rationality of Neoliberal Capitalism
Christopher Muellerleile
title_short Digital Weberianism: Bureaucracy, Information, and the Techno-rationality of Neoliberal Capitalism
title_full Digital Weberianism: Bureaucracy, Information, and the Techno-rationality of Neoliberal Capitalism
title_fullStr Digital Weberianism: Bureaucracy, Information, and the Techno-rationality of Neoliberal Capitalism
title_full_unstemmed Digital Weberianism: Bureaucracy, Information, and the Techno-rationality of Neoliberal Capitalism
title_sort Digital Weberianism: Bureaucracy, Information, and the Techno-rationality of Neoliberal Capitalism
author_id_str_mv 62c8e47d6145081a464eadba0ff5c942
author_id_fullname_str_mv 62c8e47d6145081a464eadba0ff5c942_***_Christopher Muellerleile
author Christopher Muellerleile
author2 Christopher Muellerleile
Susan L. Robertson
format Journal article
container_title Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies
container_volume 25
container_issue 1
container_start_page 187
publishDate 2018
institution Swansea University
issn 1080-0727
doi_str_mv 10.2979/indjglolegstu.25.1.0187
publisher Indiana University Press
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description The social infrastructures that constitute both public and private administration are increasingly entangled with digital code, big data, and algorithms. While some argue these technologies have blown apart the strictures of bureaucratic order, we see more subtle changes at work. We suggest that far from a radical rupture, in today’s digitizing society, there are strong traces of the logic and techniques of Max Weber’s bureau; a foundational concept in his account of the symbiotic relationship between modernity, capitalism, and social order. We suggest the manner through which these techniques have shaped contemporary systems of social administration helps explain the remarkable legitimacy digital governance has acquired. We do this by exploring how digital technologies draw from, and give new substance to, the three key principles of Weber’s theory of the bureau—efficiency, objectivity, and rationality. We argue that neoliberalism, or the widespread economization of politics, has conditioned the digital versions of these principles, not least by subordinating social ends to technical means. At the same time we argue that digitalism engenders the privatization of authority, not least through its “elective affinity” with market logics.
published_date 2018-04-11T03:40:43Z
_version_ 1763751854177517568
score 11.016235

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