Citizenship, Identity and the Corporation: Exploring New Avenues of Political Mediation

Abstract

Citizenship based on identity and difference brings to the fore new actors, issues and arenas of political contestation and struggle. In this paper, we explore the multifaceted role of the corporation in mediating the nature, meaning and significance of particular citizenship identities. We show that corporations can reflect citizenship identities, they can enable certain identities to find expression and flourish, or they can inhibit these identities. In so doing, we identify the specific ways that these avenues of mediation may be enacted and explore the critical implications of this mixing of political with economic identity.

Keywords: Citizenship, identity, gender, race, sexuality, diversity, social responsibility, advertising, marketing, employment, markets