Societal Deception

This book provides a comprehensive overview of 'societal deception' - how and why people are deceived and led to believe fake news. Coherently blending critical political economy and sociology, the author provocatively examines how corporations, political parties, the media, think tanks and assorted 'influencers' seek to manipulate public opinion to achieve their goals. This book spans an array of contemporary topics and issues not normally tackled by a single writer the media, genetic engineering, fast food, environmental pollution, climate change, economic inequality, political manipulations, sports, and religion. While critical in subject matter, and replete with easily accessible and reliable sources, this book is highly readable and entertaining for the general as well as academic audience interested in current global issues.

Accessible and entertaining for the general as well as academic audience interested in current global issues Provocatively elucidates how the world's rich and powerful exert influence through deceit and duplicity Spans an array of contemporary topics and issues not normally tackled by a single writer

Autorentext

Geoffrey Lawrence is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Queensland, Australia, and Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. A recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Australasian Agri-food Research Network (AFRN), he has an extensive publication record on a range of topics including rural social change, agri-food industries, community resilience, food security, sport and leisure, neoliberal globalization, and financialization.

Klappentext

This book provides a comprehensive overview of societal deception - how and why people are deceived and led to believe fake news. Coherently blending critical political economy and sociology, the author provocatively examines how corporations, political parties, the media, think tanks and assorted 'influencers' seek to manipulate public opinion to achieve their goals. This book spans an array of contemporary topics and issues not normally tackled by a single writer the media, genetic engineering, fast food, environmental pollution, climate change, economic inequality, political manipulations, sports, and religion. While critical in subject matter, and replete with easily accessible and reliable sources, this book is highly readable and entertaining for the general as well as academic audience interested in current global issues.

Inhalt

Who Can You Believe? Of Media, Misinformation and Trumpery.- It's the Economy, Stupid! Neoliberal Nonsense and the Myths of the Free Market.- From Seedling to Supermarket: Farming, Fast Food and the Fabrication of Trust.- Saving the Planet with Pesticides and Plastic: Corporate Profiteering and Planetary Destruction.- The Power to Lie: Propaganda and Post-truth Politics.- Praying for Salvation: Forgeries and Fallacies of Religion.- The Ultimate Diversion: Sport as False Consciousness?.- The Future: Confronting the Culprits.