On the civilising of objectification. Language use, discursive patterns and the psychological expertise of work planning

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to describe how psychological expertise of work planning contributes to the process of the civilising of objectification. Firstly, it is argued that during this process, some forms of objectification have gained the public status of being reprehensible. Unexpectedly, other types of objectification though, connected with looking at work from the standpoint of psychology, enjoy acceptability. Secondly, qualitative discourse analysis of empirical examples is provided. Analysis is based on public statements in which psychology experts advise others on how to overcome ʻinternal limitationsʼ, ʻthought patternsʼ and ʻstereotypesʼ of subordinates. The study shows that language and discourse of psychology have become carriers of the civilising of objectification with specific societal and historical implications of this process.