Meritocracy, Innovation and Advocacy: An Intersectional Approach to the Narratives of Silicon Valley

• In Event: 118 - Section on Economic Sociology Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 06. Cultural Analyses of the Economy

Abstract

The new global economy introduces new forms of social, political and economic exchange. Using Silicon Valley as a microcosm of these broader shifts, this paper explores the cultural apparatus that underlies the new economy. Through a content analysis of press articles 1980 to 2013, this study identifies three cultural discourses—meritocracy, innovation and advocacy—used to characterize Silicon Valley. Analyzed through the lens of intersectionality, each discourse is shown to obscure and reinforce patterns of advantage and disadvantage. Implications of these cultural processes for the new economy are considered.

Author

• Sarah Elizabeth Mosseri, University of Virginia