ACTA UNIVERSITATIS STOCKHOLMIENSIS Stockholm Studies in Sociology NEW SERIES 38 Enemies of the People Whistle-Blowing and the Sociology of Tragedy Magnus Haglunds ©Magnus Haglunds and Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis , Stockholm 2009 ISSN 0491-0885 ISBN (978-91-86071-25-7) Printed in Sweden by US-AB Tryck & Media, Stockholm 2009 Distributor: eddy.se ab, Visby, Sweden Front cover image ©Gabriel Wentz. Based on the Attic figure “Dike beats Adikia with a hammer” "The motif of falling is a shorthand for tragedy, whereas tragedy is always about the question of whether failure is predetermined by fate, or whether failure is the result of human agency. It poses the question: Can you of your own free will work yourself into a situation with one inevitable outcome: to fall, to fail or to die?" Jan Verwoert on Bas Jan Ader Contents Preface ..........................................................................................................xi Acknowledgements.......................................................................................xv Abbreviations .............................................................................................. xvii Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................. 19 The Problem ................................................................................................................ 21 Enemies of the People................................................................................................. 24 Whistle-Blowing Research ........................................................................................... 26 Confusion of Definition ........................................................................................... 29 Contradictory Empirical Findings............................................................................ 32 Ambivalence of the Whistle-Blower’s Status .......................................................... 37 Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 42 Locating Whistle-Blowing............................................................................................. 43 The Insider.............................................................................................................. 44 The Investigative Journalist .................................................................................... 45 The Spy .................................................................................................................. 45 The Agent Provocateur........................................................................................... 46 The Wild Cat Striker ............................................................................................... 46 The Informer ........................................................................................................... 47 A Definition................................................................................................................... 48 Chapter 2 Tragedy....................................................................................... 50 The Pharmakos............................................................................................................ 50 A Few Opening Remarks............................................................................................. 54 Earlier Usages of Tragedy in Sociological Thought ..................................................... 57 Tragedy and Social Order............................................................................................ 61 Tragedy and Spheres of Value .................................................................................... 63 Tragedy and Social Organization................................................................................. 68 The Narrative Structure of Tragedy ............................................................................. 72 Recognition............................................................................................................. 73 Flaw ........................................................................................................................ 74 Reversal ................................................................................................................. 77 Suffering ................................................................................................................. 77 Purgation ................................................................................................................ 79 The Contingency of Tragedy........................................................................................ 80 A Status Degradation Process..................................................................................... 82 Chapter 3 Method ........................................................................................ 85 Tragedy and Situational Analysis................................................................................. 85 Principles of Selection.................................................................................................. 88 Written Material............................................................................................................ 90 Broadcasted Material ................................................................................................... 94 Adaption and Codification ............................................................................................ 94 Approaching the Cases................................................................................................ 95 Mass Media—Some Considerations ...................................................................... 95 Evaluating Assertions in a Controversy.................................................................. 98 On The Discrepancy Between Attitude and Action................................................. 99 Analytical Approach.............................................................................................. 100 The Armaments Factory Engineer—Ingvar Bratt....................................................... 102 The Seal-Hunting Inspector—Odd F. Lindberg.......................................................... 104 The Auditor—Paul van Buitenen................................................................................ 106 Chapter 4 Recognition ............................................................................... 109 Sensitive Information and Secrets ............................................................................. 110 The Limits of Organizational Transparency ............................................................... 113 The Hidden Society.................................................................................................... 114 Control Inside Organizations...................................................................................... 119 Circumspection..................................................................................................... 119 Discipline .............................................................................................................. 122 Loyalty .................................................................................................................. 122 Context of Discovery.................................................................................................. 124 Chapter 5 Flaw .......................................................................................... 130 The Bystanders.......................................................................................................... 130 The Weakness of Strong Ties.................................................................................... 134 Marginal Man ............................................................................................................. 138 The Dilemma of Choice ............................................................................................. 140 Chapter 6 Reversal.................................................................................... 146 Talking Loud .............................................................................................................. 148 Decorum .................................................................................................................... 149 Conflict Management in the Limelight........................................................................ 152 Lack of Evidence .................................................................................................. 155 Insincerity ............................................................................................................. 160 Transgression of Accepted Social Rules.............................................................. 168 Chapter 7 Suffering.................................................................................... 172 Feeding the Affair....................................................................................................... 174 Timing ........................................................................................................................ 175 Two Prerequisites ...................................................................................................... 176 The Coast is Threatened ...................................................................................... 177 The Job Situation.................................................................................................