Discreet Power

Christina Garsten is Professor of Social Anthropology at Stockholm University. She is the author of Workplace Vagabonds (2008).Adrienne Sörbom is Associate Professor of Sociology at Stockholm University.

"Between raw forces of the global economy and disordered world politics lie organizations that are neither political nor economic. The World Economic Forum is central among these structures. Garsten and Sörbom give a most impressive depiction and analysis of its role—responsible but undemocratic—in what is now called global governance."—John W. Meyer, Stanford University "This is an outstanding exemplar of a very difficult genre in the craft of ethnography: working within the highest reaches of elite organization. The challenge lies less in limited access than in not reinforcing our deep-seated stereotypes of what goes on in such groups. This work is distinguished by its observational quality and derived expression of the stakes and issues at hand."—George Marcus, University of California, Irvine "In this informative study, Carsten and Sörbom explore both the inner workings and the communication strategies of the World Economic Forum....[T]he authors conclude that the WEF does perform a useful service, even if it is biased toward elite perceptions."—Richard N. Cooper, Foreign Affairs

• Introduction1. Disentangling Discretionary Governance2. Liquid Mandate3. Setting Precedence4. The Status Machinery5. Mobilizing for the Future6. Political SwayConclusion: A New Narrative for Future Globalization?