Universities and the Occult Rituals of the Corporate World

Felicity Wood is employed by the University of Fort Hare, South Africa. Her area of research interest is the way contemporary western and westernised societies partake in aspects of mystery, ritual and magic, especially in economic and socio-political contexts and the present-day workplace.

• 1. Introduction 2. The Magic of the Market 3. Setting the Scene 4. Corporate Simulacra 5. A Climate of Fear 6. Rituals, Talismans and Templates 7. Performance and Ritual 8. Kinship, Collegiality and Witchcraft 9. Secrecy, Publicity, Confusion and Power 10. The Zombies of Corporate Academia 11. Sacrifices and Suffering 12. Smoke and Mirrors and Wind Money 13. Conclusion: Breaking the Spell Bibliography

"A timely and innovative contribution at a time when Universities world-wide are becoming increasingly bureaucratic and corporate in their approach to academic affairs. This book provides a critique of the mysterious top-down style of managerial control that often stifles academic freedom and thought. Such voices are often oblivious to the academic project. The book shows how the magic of the market has corporatized higher education. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the folklore of university governance."Professor Russell H Kaschula, NRF SARChI Chair and Professor of African Language Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa."Universities have become international businesses much of whose capital takes the form of academic values and ideals. Such capital is malleable, readily shaped to meet the requirements of corporate marketing. In this extraordinary book, Felicity Wood digs deep into the occult to understand the university’s descent into madness. Ritual, myth, mysticism and magic facilitate the sacrifice of public benefit on the altar of neoliberal greed. Where reasoning fails to explain the collaboration of academics in their own demise, fear succeeds. Magic rewards compliant incantation of meaningless mantras - excellence, quality, world class. A brilliant and truly original exposition." Stuart Macdonald, General Editor, Prometheus.