We, the people at work: propositions for revitalizing industrial democracy through the use of Étienne Balibar’s concepts

Catherine Casey

Work, Employment & Society, 2014, vol. 28, issue 3, 469-480

Abstract: Current debates in social and political studies raise concerns about a ‘democratic deficit’ in society. Critical debates in work, employment and industrial relations raise similar concerns about intensified employer and managerial power and weak workers’ voice in substantive decision-making in organizations and workplaces. This article proposes that consideration of philosopher Étienne Balibar’s conceptions of post-national social citizenship, droit de cité, popular sovereignty and ‘worksites of democracy’ can usefully stimulate renewed discussion on substantive industrial and organizational democracy. The article argues that development of a radically social citizenship disrupts the hegemony of liberal notions of ownership and of employment contractual relations. Expansive social citizenship enables emancipatory movement beyond congealed adversarial conventions and towards a democracy understood as continually reflexive cooperation. The article illustratively addresses theoretical and practical implications for the regulation of work, employee participation and corporate governance, especially in European companies.

Keywords: corporate governance; Étienne Balibar; European company; industrial democracy; social citizenship (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:woemps:v:28:y:2014:i:3:p:469-480

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