Libertarian Populism, Neoliberal Rationality, and the Mandatory Long-form Census: Implications for Sociology

Authors

  • William Ramp University of Lethbridge
  • Trevor W. Harrison University of Lethbridge

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/cjs18222

Keywords:

populism, governmentality, individualism, state, property, privacy

Abstract

This article argues the Canadian government’s decision in 2010 to eliminate the mandatory long-form census constitutes a mobilizing appeal to libertarian populism commensurate not only with neoliberal concepts of individualism, private property, and the role of the state, but also with a redefinition of what counts as valid argumentation and a legitimate basis for making knowledge claims. This rationale has implications for sociological research and theory, for the profession of sociology, and for a sociological vision of society.

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Published

2012-09-23

Issue

Section

Articles