Silently Silenced

Description

After 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 – and that has been updated by the author to include September 11 and other contemporary developments. 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.

Reviews

‘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

‘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

‘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

Author

A major work from an eminent commentator who is Professor of the Sociology of Law at the University of Oslo – and whose many books include the acclaimed Waterside Press publication Prison On Trial.