Cognition in a hierarchy

Blaug, R. 2007. Cognition in a hierarchy. Contemporary Political Theory. 6 (1), pp. 24-44. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.cpt.9300276

TitleCognition in a hierarchy
AuthorsBlaug, R.
Abstract

To contribute to the organizational turn in research on participatory democracy, this paper examines the effects of organizational hierarchy on individual thinking. Power corrupts, but neither political scientists nor psychologists can really tell us how. To identify mechanisms by which it does so, the paper introduces recent advances in the field of cognitive psychology, here to suspicious political theorists. The study of cognition shows that we actively make meaning, and that we do so with a discernable neurological apparatus. The paper presents hierarchy as a social construct that 'fits' this apparatus in such a way as to assist the capture of meaning by the interests of power. This process of capture takes place beneath individual awareness. For this reason, the concern here amounts to ideology critique: specifically, using cognitive psychology to reveal the ideological propagation of hierarchy. The fact that hierarchy has hidden cognitive costs has important implications for the prospects of a more participatory democracy. Any democratization of organizational life is seen to turn on the capacity of participants to selectively use and manage hierarchy and to minimize its cognitive costs. This entails, among other things, a recovery of our own thinking from the knowledge processing requirements of power saturated hierarchic organizations. In its examination of the personal effects of power, the paper seeks to reveal psychological mechanisms by which power corrupts, and by which, inadvertently, we come to serve the interests of power in the very way we think.

JournalContemporary Political Theory
Journal citation6 (1), pp. 24-44
ISSN1470-8914
YearFeb 2007
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.cpt.9300276
Publication dates
PublishedFeb 2007

Related outputs

Pathologies of Power and Cognition
Blaug, R. 2016. Pathologies of Power and Cognition. in: Garrard, P. and Robinson, G. (ed.) The Intoxication of Power: Interdisciplinary Insights Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 75-88

Transparency and Public Involvement in Animal Research
Pound, P. and Blaug, R. 2016. Transparency and Public Involvement in Animal Research. Alternatives to Laboratory Animals. 44 (2), pp. 167-173.

Robber Barons: Pioneers Work Best on the Frontier
Blaug, R. 2015. Robber Barons: Pioneers Work Best on the Frontier. Financial Times, March 31.

Localizando el compromiso público (locating public engagement)
Blaug, R. 2012. Localizando el compromiso público (locating public engagement). Revista Comunicación y Ciudadanía. 5.

How power corrupts: cognition and democracy in organisations
Blaug, R. 2010. How power corrupts: cognition and democracy in organisations. London Palgrave Macmillan.

Demonstrating public service responsiveness
Blaug, R. and Lekhi, R. 2009. Demonstrating public service responsiveness. Parliamentary Brief.

Smoke, mirrors and the employment relationship
Lekhi, R. and Blaug, R. 2009. Smoke, mirrors and the employment relationship. London The Good Work Commission.

Accounting for intangibles: financial reporting and value creation in the knowledge economy
Blaug, R. and Lekhi, R. 2009. Accounting for intangibles: financial reporting and value creation in the knowledge economy. The Work Foundation.

Why is there hierarchy? Democracy and the question of organisational form
Blaug, R. 2009. Why is there hierarchy? Democracy and the question of organisational form. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy. 12 (1), pp. 85-99. https://doi.org/10.1080/13698230902738635

Job quality & work organisation in the UK and Europe: a literature review for the HSE
Lekhi, R. and Blaug, R. 2008. Job quality & work organisation in the UK and Europe: a literature review for the HSE. HSE (Health & Safety Executive).

Direct accountability at the end
Blaug, R. 2008. Direct accountability at the end. in: White, S. and Leighton, D. (ed.) Building a citizen society: the emerging politics of republican democracy London Lawrence & Wishart. pp. 101-111

Stress at work: a report prepared for The Work Foundation’s principal partners
Blaug, R., Kenyon, A. and Lekhi, R. 2007. Stress at work: a report prepared for The Work Foundation’s principal partners. London The Work Foundation.

Deliberative democracy and the role of public managers. Final report of The Work Foundation’s public value consortium. November 2006
Horner, L., Lekhi, R. and Blaug, R. 2006. Deliberative democracy and the role of public managers. Final report of The Work Foundation’s public value consortium. November 2006. London The Work Foundation.

Public value, citizen expectations and user commitment: a literature review
Blaug, R., Horner, L. and Lekhi, R. 2006. Public value, citizen expectations and user commitment: a literature review. London The Work Foundation.

Heritage, democracy and public value
Blaug, R., Horner, L. and Lekhi, R. 2006. Heritage, democracy and public value. in: Clark, K. (ed.) Capturing the public value of heritage: the proceedings of the London conference, 25–26 January 2006 Swindon English Heritage.

Public value and local communities: a literature review
Blaug, R., Horner, L., Kenyon, A. and Lekhi, R. 2006. Public value and local communities: a literature review. London The Work Foundation.

Public value, politics and public management: a literature review
Blaug, R., Horner, L. and Lekhi, R. 2006. Public value, politics and public management: a literature review. London The Work Foundation.

Perceptions of participation
Blaug, R. 2004. Perceptions of participation. Renewal: Journal of Labour Politics.

Engineering democracy
Blaug, R. 2002. Engineering democracy. Political Studies. 50 (1), pp. 102-116. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9248.00361

The thrill has gone: a reply to Professor Ehrenberg
Blaug, R. 2000. The thrill has gone: a reply to Professor Ehrenberg. New Political Science. 22 (3), pp. 401-402. https://doi.org/10.1080/713687952

Outbreaks of democracy
Blaug, R. 2000. Outbreaks of democracy. in: The Socialist register Merlin Press. pp. 145-160

Citizenship and political judgment: between discourse ethics and phronesis
Blaug, R. 2000. Citizenship and political judgment: between discourse ethics and phronesis. Res Publica. 6 (2), pp. 179-198.

Blind hierarchism and radical organizational forms
Blaug, R. 2000. Blind hierarchism and radical organizational forms. New Political Science. 22 (3), pp. 379-395. https://doi.org/10.1080/713687957

The tyranny of the visible: problems in the evaluation of anti-institutional radicalism
Blaug, R. 1999. The tyranny of the visible: problems in the evaluation of anti-institutional radicalism. Organization. 6 (1), pp. 33-56. https://doi.org/10.1177/135050849961002

Democracy, real and ideal: discourse ethics and radical politics
Blaug, R. 1999. Democracy, real and ideal: discourse ethics and radical politics. Albany State University of New York Press.

Between fear and disappointment: critical, empirical and political uses of Habermas
Blaug, R. 1997. Between fear and disappointment: critical, empirical and political uses of Habermas. Political Studies. 45 (1), pp. 100-117. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9248.00074

New developments in deliberative democracy
Blaug, R. 1996. New developments in deliberative democracy. Politics. 16 (2), pp. 71-77. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9256.1996.tb00023.x

New theories of discursive democracy: a user's guide
Blaug, R. 1996. New theories of discursive democracy: a user's guide. Philosophy and Social Criticism. 22 (1), pp. 49-80. https://doi.org/10.1177/019145379602200104

Distortion of face to face: communicative reason and social work practice
Blaug, R. 1995. Distortion of face to face: communicative reason and social work practice. British Journal of Social Work. 25 (4), pp. 423-439.

All talk? The new deliberative theories of democracy
Blaug, R. 1995. All talk? The new deliberative theories of democracy. in: Lekhi, R. (ed.) The state of the academy: new reflections on political studies London Network Press.

Habermas's treatment for relativism
Blaug, R. 1994. Habermas's treatment for relativism. Politics. 14 (2), pp. 51-57. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9256.1994.tb00117.x

Staff anxiety and its management in a day nursery
Blaug, R. 1989. Staff anxiety and its management in a day nursery. Journal of social work practice. 3 (4), pp. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650538908413396

John Rawls and the protection of liberty
Blaug, R. 1986. John Rawls and the protection of liberty. Social Theory and Practice. 12 (2), pp. 241-258.

Permalink - https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/91v80/cognition-in-a-hierarchy


Share this

Usage statistics

141 total views
0 total downloads
These values cover views and downloads from WestminsterResearch and are for the period from September 2nd 2018, when this repository was created.