Assange vs Zuckerberg: Symbolic Construction of Contemporary Cultural Heroes. Issue 1 (January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Blanco-Gracia, Antonio
• Other Names: Fotaki Marianna guest-editor.; Altman Yochanan guest-editor.; Koning Juliette guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Organization studies. Volume 41:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 31
• Page End: 51
• Publication Date: 2020-01
• Subjects: Hermes -- leadership -- meta-language -- myths -- Prometheus -- social imaginary -- symbolic construction -- trickster; Organizational sociology -- Periodicals; Organizational behavior -- Periodicals; Organization -- Periodicals; 302.35
• DOI: 10.1177/0170840618789203
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0170-8406

Abstract

Myth is a meta-language that shapes our cultures and the way we individually and collectively make sense of reality. This paper presents the methodologies of French anthropologist and sociologist Gilbert Durand as a way to unveil how ancient myths contribute to the symbolic construction of societal leaders in times of crisis. To do so, it analyses the controversy of the selection of Time magazine's Person of the Year, which confronted the figures of Julien Assange and Mark Zuckerberg. The myth analysis of their Wikipedia biographies will show that despite the fact these two personalities are considered almost opposites, the structure of the collective shared narratives about each of them follow the structure of the myth of Hermes, one shaping the grand narrative of the postmodern era. Realizing why and how the myth of Hermes promotes our contemporary leaders, sometimes apparent antagonists, contributes to better understanding of the unconscious drives of their symbolic construction, and enabling critical engagement with the rationales of their emergence.