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Author:   Caroline W. Lee (Associate Professor of Sociology, Associate Professor of Sociology, Lafayette College)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint:   Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 23.60cm , Height: 2.80cm , Length: 16.00cm
Weight:   0.499kg
ISBN:  

9780199987269

ISBN 10:   0199987262
Pages:   304
Publication Date:   15 January 2015
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

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Reviews

Lee focuses on dialogues, deliberations, and other organized, face-to-face conversations about public issues. She raises crucial questions about the net impact of hundreds of small-scale, safe deliberations on public life. Her critical observations are insightful, trenchant, and often humorous. -- Peter Levine, Tufts University The book raises questions that the industry, and for that matter scholars of democratic deliberation, must confront. -- Journal of Public Deliberation At a time when paralysis plagues professional politics, this fascinating book takes us deep into a parallel universe. Here, under the watchful eyes of professional deliberation managers, citizens negotiate with one another to make the hard choices their elected representatives so often duck. This book reminds us that when governments fail, citizens will seek democracy elsewhere - and that for all the rhetoric of do-it-yourself empowerment, there's no guarantee they'll find it. A mesmerizing and ultimately frightening read. -- Fred Turner, author of The Democratic Surround I have been involved for decades in the field that Caroline Lee insightfully describes and criticizes in this remarkable book. Although I recognize myself in some of its satirical passages, I consider it essential reading for anyone who cares about deliberative democracy and also community service, youth engagement, and other civic practices. We cannot move forward without addressing the shortcomings Lee explores. -- Perspectives on Politics In Do-It-Yourself Democracy, Caroline Lee powerfully demonstrates the often unexpected consequences of deliberative decision making practices. This rich and complex analysis, forcefully argued and elegantly presented, makes important contributions to our understanding of the development of new forms of political engagement as well as to fundamental debates over the democratic character of the modern American state. By illuminating how participatory practices function simultaneously as methods for the containment of dissent and the production of consent, Caroline Lee provides a cautionary tale for the present moment. -Elisabeth S. Clemens, University of Chicago A fresh and fascinating look at participatory democracy today. As Caroline Lee demonstrates, we've come a long way from the 1960s. Now, the Obama administration supports the efforts, civic leaders endorse them, and corporations underwrite them. Lee gets to the heart of the matter by focusing on the wizards behind the democratic curtain - the professionals who organize participatory events. Do-It-Yourself Democracy is, in turn, idealistic, moving, personal, deeply researched, elegantly written, skeptical, wise, and highly recommended. -James A. Morone, author of The Devils We Know Lee describes the practices of the public engagement industry in seeking to facilitate dialogue in government, corporate, and nonprofit contexts. She portrays the idealism of these facilitators in their belief that public engagement is inherently good. Readers cannot help but wonder whether the deliberation that occurs in these forms is more symbolic than real. ... a wonderfully balanced portrait that includes both the charms and warts of the industry. -CHOICE Do-It-Yourself Democracy takes a hard look at processes of public engagement that can easily be regarded as promising new ways that ordinary people can influence state action and shape their own futures. As Lee reflects, it is not easy to take a critical stance toward political phenomena that are widely considered authentically democratic and progressive. That she is able to make such a convincing case for the limitations and political dangers of this popular form of civic deliberation is a tribute to Lee's careful analysis. This is a groundbreaking book that deserves to be read by all scholars of social movements and politics. -Mobilization Do-It-Yourself Democracy offers a deep and sensitive critique of the contemporary conundrum between achieving individual authenticity and collective social change in American society. --Guobin Yang, University of Pennsylvania, Contemporary Sociology ...this subtle, empathetic,and brilliant book shows, in crystal-clearmicrocosm, a revolution that hardly anybody has noticed. Through colorful, sometimes laugh-out-loud storytelling, multiple angles of theory, and diligently gathered statistics, author Caroline Lee walks us through this horrifying, strange redo of the relations among politics, spirituality, creativity, professionalism, and the market. -Nina Eliasoph, University of Southern California

At a time when paralysis plagues professional politics, this fascinating book takes us deep into a parallel universe. Here, under the watchful eyes of professional deliberation managers, citizens negotiate with one another to make the hard choices their elected representatives so often duck. This book reminds us that when governments fail, citizens will seek democracy elsewhere - and that for all the rhetoric of do-it-yourself empowerment, there's no guarantee they'll find it. A mesmerizing and ultimately frightening read. -Fred Turner, author of The Democratic Surround I have been involved for decades in the field that Caroline Lee insightfully describes and criticizes in this remarkable book. Although I recognize myself in some of its satirical passages, I consider it essential reading for anyone who cares about deliberative democracy and also community service, youth engagement, and other civic practices. We cannot move forward without addressing the shortcomings Lee explores. -Peter Levine, Tufts University In Do-It-Yourself Democracy, Caroline Lee powerfully demonstrates the often unexpected consequences of deliberative decision making practices. This rich and complex analysis, forcefully argued and elegantly presented, makes important contributions to our understanding of the development of new forms of political engagement as well as to fundamental debates over the democratic character of the modern American state. By illuminating how participatory practices function simultaneously as methods for the containment of dissent and the production of consent, Caroline Lee provides a cautionary tale for the present moment. -Elisabeth S. Clemens, University of Chicago A fresh and fascinating look at participatory democracy today. As Caroline Lee demonstrates, we've come a long way from the 1960s. Now, the Obama administration supports the efforts, civic leaders endorse them, and corporations underwrite them. Lee gets to the heart of the matter by focusing on the wizards behind the democratic curtain - the professionals who organize participatory events. Do-It-Yourself Democracy is, in turn, idealistic, moving, personal, deeply researched, elegantly written, skeptical, wise, and highly recommended. -James A. Morone, author of The Devils We Know

At a time when paralysis plagues professional politics, this fascinating book takes us deep into a parallel universe. Here, under the watchful eyes of professional deliberation managers, citizens negotiate with one another to make the hard choices their elected representatives so often duck. This book reminds us that when governments fail, citizens will seek democracy elsewhere - and that for all the rhetoric of do-it-yourself empowerment, there's no guarantee they'll find it. A mesmerizing and ultimately frightening read. Fred Turner, author of The Democratic Surround I have been involved for decades in the field that Caroline Lee insightfully describes and criticizes in this remarkable book. Although I recognize myself in some of its satirical passages, I consider it essential reading for anyone who cares about deliberative democracy and also community service, youth engagement, and other civic practices. We cannot move forward without addressing the shortcomings Lee explores. Peter Levine, Tufts University In Do-It-Yourself Democracy, Caroline Lee powerfully demonstrates the often unexpected consequences of deliberative decision making practices. This rich and complex analysis, forcefully argued and elegantly presented, makes important contributions to our understanding of the development of new forms of political engagement as well as to fundamental debates over the democratic character of the modern American state. By illuminating how participatory practices function simultaneously as methods for the containment of dissent and the production of consent, Caroline Lee provides a cautionary tale for the present moment. Elisabeth S. Clemens, University of Chicago A fresh and fascinating look at participatory democracy today. As Caroline Lee demonstrates, we've come a long way from the 1960s. Now, the Obama administration supports the efforts, civic leaders endorse them, and corporations underwrite them. Lee gets to the heart of the matter by focusing on the wizards behind the democratic curtain - the professionals who organize participatory events. Do-It-Yourself Democracy is, in turn, idealistic, moving, personal, deeply researched, elegantly written, skeptical, wise, and highly recommended. James A. Morone, author of The Devils We Know

At a time when paralysis plagues professional politics, this fascinating book takes us deep into a parallel universe. Here, under the watchful eyes of professional deliberation managers, citizens negotiate with one another to make the hard choices their elected representatives so often duck. This book reminds us that when governments fail, citizens will seek democracy elsewhere - and that for all the rhetoric of do-it-yourself empowerment, there's no guarantee they'll find it. A mesmerizing and ultimately frightening read. -Fred Turner, author of The Democratic Surround I have been involved for decades in the field that Caroline Lee insightfully describes and criticizes in this remarkable book. Although I recognize myself in some of its satirical passages, I consider it essential reading for anyone who cares about deliberative democracy and also community service, youth engagement, and other civic practices. We cannot move forward without addressing the shortcomings Lee explores. -Peter Levine, Tufts University In Do-It-Yourself Democracy, Caroline Lee powerfully demonstrates the often unexpected consequences of deliberative decision making practices. This rich and complex analysis, forcefully argued and elegantly presented, makes important contributions to our understanding of the development of new forms of political engagement as well as to fundamental debates over the democratic character of the modern American state. By illuminating how participatory practices function simultaneously as methods for the containment of dissent and the production of consent, Caroline Lee provides a cautionary tale for the present moment. -Elisabeth S. Clemens, University of Chicago A fresh and fascinating look at participatory democracy today. As Caroline Lee demonstrates, we've come a long way from the 1960s. Now, the Obama administration supports the efforts, civic leaders endorse them, and corporations underwrite them. Lee gets to the heart of t

Lee focuses on dialogues, deliberations, and other organized, face-to-face conversations about public issues. She raises crucial questions about the net impact of hundreds of small-scale, safe deliberations on public life. Her critical observations are insightful, trenchant, and often humorous. -- Peter Levine, Tufts University The book raises questions that the industry, and for that matter scholars of democratic deliberation, must confront. -- Journal of Public Deliberation At a time when paralysis plagues professional politics, this fascinating book takes us deep into a parallel universe. Here, under the watchful eyes of professional deliberation managers, citizens negotiate with one another to make the hard choices their elected representatives so often duck. This book reminds us that when governments fail, citizens will seek democracy elsewhere - and that for all the rhetoric of do-it-yourself empowerment, there's no guarantee they'll find it. A mesmerizing and ultimately frightening read. -- Fred Turner, author of The Democratic Surround I have been involved for decades in the field that Caroline Lee insightfully describes and criticizes in this remarkable book. Although I recognize myself in some of its satirical passages, I consider it essential reading for anyone who cares about deliberative democracy and also community service, youth engagement, and other civic practices. We cannot move forward without addressing the shortcomings Lee explores. -- Perspectives on Politics In Do-It-Yourself Democracy, Caroline Lee powerfully demonstrates the often unexpected consequences of deliberative decision making practices. This rich and complex analysis, forcefully argued and elegantly presented, makes important contributions to our understanding of the development of new forms of political engagement as well as to fundamental debates over the democratic character of the modern American state. By illuminating how participatory practices function simultaneously as methods for the containment of dissent and the production of consent, Caroline Lee provides a cautionary tale for the present moment. -Elisabeth S. Clemens, University of Chicago A fresh and fascinating look at participatory democracy today. As Caroline Lee demonstrates, we've come a long way from the 1960s. Now, the Obama administration supports the efforts, civic leaders endorse them, and corporations underwrite them. Lee gets to the heart of the matter by focusing on the wizards behind the democratic curtain - the professionals who organize participatory events. Do-It-Yourself Democracy is, in turn, idealistic, moving, personal, deeply researched, elegantly written, skeptical, wise, and highly recommended. --James A. Morone, author of The Devils We Know Lee describes the practices of the public engagement industry in seeking to facilitate dialogue in government, corporate, and nonprofit contexts. She portrays the idealism of these facilitators in their belief that public engagement is inherently good. Readers cannot help but wonder whether the deliberation that occurs in these forms is more symbolic than real. ... a wonderfully balanced portrait that includes both the charms and warts of the industry. -CHOICE Do-It-Yourself Democracy takes a hard look at processes of public engagement that can easily be regarded as promising new ways that ordinary people can influence state action and shape their own futures. As Lee reflects, it is not easy to take a critical stance toward political phenomena that are widely considered authentically democratic and progressive. That she is able to make such a convincing case for the limitations and political dangers of this popular form of civic deliberation is a tribute to Lee's careful analysis. This is a groundbreaking book that deserves to be read by all scholars of social movements and politics. -Mobilization Do-It-Yourself Democracy offers a deep and sensitive critique of the contemporary conundrum between achieving individual authenticity and collective social change in American society. --Guobin Yang, University of Pennsylvania, Contemporary Sociology ...this subtle, empathetic,and brilliant book shows, in crystal-clearmicrocosm, a revolution that hardly anybody has noticed. Through colorful, sometimes laugh-out-loud storytelling, multiple angles of theory, and diligently gathered statistics, author Caroline Lee walks us through this horrifying, strange redo of the relations among politics, spirituality, creativity, professionalism, and the market. -Nina Eliasoph, University of Southern California This subtle, empathetic, and brilliant book shows, in crystal-clear microcosm, a revolution that hardly anybody has noticed. Through colorful, sometimes laugh-out-loud storytelling, multiple angles of theory, and diligently gathered statistics, author Caroline Lee walks us through this horrifying, strange redo of the relations among politics, spirituality, creativity, professionalism, and the market Is it a perfect introduction to this new spirit of democracy. --American Journal of Sociology The idea that participatory democracy can be used as a tool for social control rather than liberation is hardly new, but the nuanced analysis of these processes in action, the focus on deliberative processes across sectors and contexts, and the attention to how individual professionals (and the broader public engagement industry) shape and reproduce these outcomes are well worth examination, and well examined in Do-It-Yourself Democracy. --Robert J. Chaskin, University of Chicago, Governance Lee's book is a thoughtful, well-rounded examination of the public engagement industry, based on years of careful ethnographic work. The book is sharply written, provocative, and engaging, a must read for anyone who spends time thinking about the promise and potential of mass citizen engagement processesEL This book is an important contribution to a developing literature that is inviting researchers to think harder about the actual experience of citizen engagementEL It should be read both deeply and widely for years to come. --The International Journal of Press/Politics There are at least two major reasons why any scholar with even a remote interest in politics should read this book empirical discovery and theoretical challenge Lee is offering a really important and impressive empirical discovery in this book. --Lyn Spillman, University of Notre Dame, Trajectories Do-It-Yourself Democracy is about the business of public engagement in America, including the industry's history, effects on citizens, and detailed anecdotes from events Lee observed personally. The book is hugely valuable for its role in exposing major moral questions about the way governments are run today, and it is entertaining to read. Lee inserts the reader into certain important deliberations - one on post-Katrina recovery, for example - that transport the reader into those communities. Most importantly, the book brings to light this obscure industry that may grow to have far-reaching impact. --Journal of Political Science Education

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Caroline W. Lee is Associate Professor of Sociology at Lafayette College.

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