Only Connect: Cooptation and Counter-struggle in the Search for the Networked Citizen

In an era defined by constant connectivity, the relationships
– virtual or otherwise – between ordinary people have never been more
important. Political and corporate elites present themselves as supporters of
citizen solidarities in order to defend structures of power and profit, whilst
radical movements rely on those same impulses to resist and undermine the
fragile status quo.

In Only Connect, Andrew Wallace
traces the evolving role of citizen networks in shaping our political, social
and economic life. From the rise of to the ‘sharing economy’ in the form of companies such as Airbnb to the international spread of Black Lives Matters, Wallace argues that we are now entering a new phase both of neoliberalism and popular protest. Will the collaborative possibilities
unleashed by the digital revolution result in our relationships being
commodified and monopolised by corporate and political elites, or will it
empower us to reclaim time, autonomy and community for ourselves?

An
innovative take on our current economic and political crisis, Wallace places
citizen relations at the forefront of the agenda, showing how thin the
dividing line is between resistance and cooptation.