Indeed, such has been the success, that film maker jennifer abbott admits to having had pangs of unease. Bakan the interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Sep 08, 2020 a gimleteyed critique of the notion of the socially responsible corporation. The pathological pursuit of profit and power, during the filming of the documentary. Joel bakan came out with a book and movie titled the corporation. The corporation has become a vehicle by which good men and women cause harm to society because of the way the corporation is created and protected by the law. The pathological pursuit of profit and power kindle edition by bakan, joel. Filmmaking team, which consists of jennifer abbott, joel bakan and mark achbar, has produced a nice combination of documentary movie presented in an unusual way. About joel bakan joel bakan is an internationally recognized and awardwinning scholar and teacher who has worked on landmark legal cases and government policies. Joel bakan, mark achbar, jennifer abbott and katherine dodds. The book joel bakan s book is a brilliantly argued account of the corporation s pathological pursuit of profit and power.
Bakan also authored the companion book, the new corporation. The pathological pursuit of profit and power bakan, joel on. Joel bakan is a professor of law at the university of british columbia, and an internationally renowned legal scholar and commentator. The pathological pursuit of profit and power by joel bakan. Stiglitzs globalization and its discontents, and as scathing as michael moores stupid white men, joel bakan s new book is a brilliantly argued account of the corporation s pathological pursuit of profit and power. She also brags about manipulating consumers into wanting things and. The corporation is a 2003 canadian documentary film written by university of british columbia law professor joel bakan, and directed by mark achbar and jennifer abbott. Allard school of law at the university of british columbia. Many options have been available for the business people and stakeholders left with the freedom to choose among the different ways of conducting business that best fits their. Fifteen years ago, university of british columbia law professor joel bakan came out with a book and movie titled the corporation. The corporation is a canadian documentary film, which appeared in 2003.
Allard school of law at the university of british columbia born in lansing, michigan, and raised for most of his childhood in east lansing, michigan, where his parents, paul and rita bakan. Joel bakan speaks to tni ahead of his new book and film the new. Your new film shows that while corporations have done better in being. The book overall depicts the behavior and the evil spirit of big corporative giants. Its message is compelling and more important now than ever. The pathological pursuit of profit and power free press, 2004 was published in over 20. His work examines the social, economic, and political dimensions of law, and he has published in leading legal and social science journals as well as in the popular press. Aug 28, 2020 an interview with joel bakan state of power 2020 28 august 2020 in 2004, a powerful documentary film, the corporation, caught the political imagination when it was released at the peak of the alternative globalisation struggles that emerged following the protests at the world trade organization wto in seattle. He wears glasses, brown trousers, a black jacket and a black tshirt. Eminent canadian law professor and legal theorist joel bakan contends that todays corporation is a pathological institution, a dangerous possessor of the great power it wields over people and societies.
An eminent law professor and legal theorist, bakan contends that the corporation is created. The pathological pursuit of profit and power, and is made by the team comprising mark achbar and jennifer abbott. How they do now and how do they used to treat with their employees. Joel bakan s book is a brilliantly argued account of the corporation s pathological pursuit of profit and power. Globe and mail written by joel bakan threat of us election a terrifying reminder big tech. Mark lastman is in his midfifties, completely bald and cleanshaven. We are all its potential victims, which is why we must all understand how the corporate form makes it so difficult to control its abuses. The correct answer might well be the creators and marketers of the corporation.
Bakan s the corporation is one of those rare books that opens up a new world. Over the last 150 years the corporation has risen from relative obscurity to become the worlds dominant economic institution. His bestselling book the corporation was made into an awardwinning documentary. The corporation took almost five years to be made into a film. The book was written during the making of the corporation cocreated with mark achbar and formed the basis of the research and writing for the film. Interview with joel bakan, author of childhood under siege. In the new corporation, bakan shows how the billionaires are using the rhetoric of serving society and nature to enclose the remaining commons, privatize public goods, and colonize our bodies and minds. Joel bakans book the new corporation and jennifer abbot and joels film by the same name, calls out what they call the corporate takeover. Joel bakans the corporation woke up the world to how the construction of the corporation led to a pathological economy that destroyed nature and society. That book and movie embedded in the american mind the idea of a corporation as a psychopath. With exquisite historical evocations and incisive contemporary examples, the author challenges us to recognize the flaws inherent in the very nature of the corporation and the practical possibilities for reform. Inspired by joel bakan s eponymous book, the films premise is that, since the corporation has been given the rights of a legal person, we can evaluate what type of person it is. A former rhodes scholar and law clerk to chief justice brian dickson of the supreme court of canada, bakan has law degrees from oxford, dalhousie, and harvard. The corporation book by joel bakan official publisher.
A very important book, an arresting study directed to a central issue of the times noam chomsky, from the author of the corporation. Joel bakan calls for a rethinking of the corporate entity as we know it. The transnational institute went back to the writer of the film and accompanying book, joel bakan, a law professor at the university of british columbia, to find out how he views the corporation today. Featuring indepth interviews with such wideranging figures as nobel prize. Your previous book, the corporation, focused on the. In april 2019, recounts university of british columbia law professor bakan, jp morgan chase ceo jamie dimon led a drive with 200odd other ceos to declare that corporations were committed not to maximizing returns for their shareholders, but also to serving workers, communities, and the environment.
Viking canada, 2004 find, read and cite all the research you. Jan 06, 2021 bakan analyzed the corporation the way a psychiatrist would analyze a patient. Joel bakan is an author, filmmaker and a professor of law at the university of british columbia. With lucidity and verve, joel bakan unveils the history and the character of a devilish instrument that has been created and is nurtured by powerful modern states. This woman proudly relates how the advertising industry studies how to encourage children to nag their parents more effectively to buy products. Jan 04, 2012 joel bakan is professor of law at the university of british columbia in canada, where he teaches and writes about constitutional law. Striking thesis convincingly presented the modern corporation, according to law professor joel bakan, is singularly selfinterested and unable to feel genuine concern for others in any context. Sep 28, 2020 director jennifer abbott photo by stasia garaway. This screening includes exclusive bonus interviews with directors jennifer abbott and joel bakan, and narrator charles officer, each moderated by awardwinning. The independentthis fine book was virtually begging to be written. An interview with joel bakan on childhood under siege parenting. This is no doubt an intriguing experiment, considering that this is something that has never taken place before because life started on this planet billions of years back.
The corporation contends that the corporation is created by law to. Virtual book launch the new corporation with joel bakan. Even if it is unintentional, a documentary will be dominated with a particular view. Joel bakan author of the corporation depicts all about the corporation, corporation strategies, models. The pathological pursuit of profit and power, the film is a timely, critical inquiry that invites ceos, whistleblowers, brokers, gurus, spies, players, pawns and pundits on a graphic and engaging quest to reveal the corporation s inner workings, curious history, controversial impacts and possible. Democracy, not consumption is how we will amass power to. The film won 26 international awards and bakan s book also became a widely translated bestseller.
The corporation documentary summary analysis jotted. Chapter six in the corporation by joel bakan essay book. The pathological pursuit of profit and power, 2004 and writer and cocreator of the documentary film, the corporation. The film won 26 international awards and bakan s book also became a widely. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the corporation. The corporation, according to joel bakan, is the monster that can swallow civilization greedy, exploitive, and unstoppable.
As the title of the book suggests, business corporations are all too often guilty of pursuing profits over the interests of people and the environment. In this episode, we meet with joel bakan to discuss corporations commitment to sustainability. In 2004, a powerful documentary film, the corporation, caught the political imagination when it. The modern corporation an interview with joel bakan 1 the intelligent corporation data and the digital economy anita gurumurthy and nandini chami 10 beyond china, inc. The longawaited dvd, available now in australia and coming in march to north america, contains over 8 hour of additional footage. Essay about the documentary the corporation by mark. The book is a companion to the highly anticipated film of the same name, which. The inspiration for the film that won the 2004 sundance film festival audience award for best.
The unfortunately necessary sequel, was released in 2020. They support their arguments with case studies, vignettes, and interviews some of which are. The corporation movie book creator joel bakan part 2 how the psychopathic character of corporations is affecting our culture, individuals, organizations. A former rhodes scholar and law clerk to chief justice brian dickson of the supreme court of canada, bakan. How good corporations are bad for democracy, out sept. An eminent law professor and legal theorist, bakan contends that the corporation is created by law to function much like a psychopathic personality whose destructive behavior, if left unchecked, leads to scandal and ruin. Joel bakan authorproducer the corporation on how corporations are psychopathic, part 1 the first half of the transcript of my interview with joel bakan. The magazine of economic justice dollars and sense. The post911 chill that muted some critics of corporate business practices did nothing to stop professor joel bakan from pursuing his own thesis. The film won 26 international awards and bakans book also became a widely translated bestseller.
Eminent canadian law professor and legal theorist joel bakan contends the modern business corporation is created by law to function like a psychopathic personality. Jennifer abbott and joel bakan discuss the new corporation. Joel conrad bakan born 1959 is an americancanadian writer, jazz musician, filmmaker, and professor at the peter a. More than 10 years ago, the canadian documentary film the corporation, written by university of british columbia professor of law joel bakan. Sep 21, 2020 bakan also authored the companion book, the new corporation. The corporation documentary summary analysis jotted lines. The interview with lucy hughes, vice president of initiative media, is truly disturbing. The corporation is farenheit 911 for people who think. The pathological pursuit of profit and power, joel bakan toronto. Joel bakan on how good corporations are bad for democracy. He found its character to be pathologically selfinterested. The documentary examines the modernday corporation. The new corporation the unfortunately necessary sequel. Eminent canadian law professor and legal theorist joel bakan contends that todays.
Yet i actually do not intend to find out what will certainly occur. Before corporation he wrote two books that were well received by scholars. Author and filmmaker joel bakan joins massey college principal nathalie des rosiers for a conversation with junior fellow anna wong and david schneiderman. Jun 30, 2004 the corporation, based on a book by the canadian law professor joel bakan, is divided into cutely titled chapters democracy ltd. Interview with joel bakan, author of the corporation. More than 10 years ago, the canadian documentary film the corporation, written by university of british columbia professor of law joel bakan, significantly challenged the way we think about the modern corporation by unraveling its legal status as a person pathologically committed to the pursuit of power and profit. Callous unconcern for the feelings of others check. Bakans book, the corporation, attempts to provide a pathological explanation of how corporations came to wield so much power over the society. The corporation is a 2003 canadian documentary film written by joel bakan, and directed by mark achbar and jennifer abbott. The pathological pursuit of profit and power author. The corporation by joel bakan the pathological pursuit of power and profit this is another eyeopening book, where the author contends that the structure of companies forces them to be psychopaths by definition. Joel bakan is an internationally recognized and awardwinning scholar and teacher who has worked on landmark legal cases and government policies. The corporation doubles down point of view magazine.
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