This thesis critically assesses the US’s “International Strategy for Cyberspace,” its policies concerning Internet freedom, and its corollary promotion of global connectivity via Information and Communication Technology. I argue that the Internet freedom discourse constitutes a form of epistemic violence that the US government and its like-minded allies perpetrate against those who adhere to contradictory communication policies. I further suggest that the associated policy initiatives render the US culpable, if not wholly responsible, for the physical violence that people may fall victim to as a result of using the technology it actively helps develop and promote. I also contend that the US’s attempt to establish the guiding norms and govern the behavior in “cyberspace” is an example of “international governmentality,” a contemporary variant of Michel Foucault’s notion concerning modern power relations. Following this, I demonstrate how Foucault’s understanding of governmentality reveals important aspects of the US-led cyber agenda that remain hidden in the rhetoric; aspects which allow for a more complete assessment of the policy and its implications.
","abstract_html":"<p>This thesis critically assesses the US’s “International Strategy for Cyberspace,” its policies concerning Internet freedom, and its corollary promotion of global connectivity via Information and Communication Technology. I argue that the Internet freedom discourse constitutes a form of epistemic violence that the US government and its like-minded allies perpetrate against those who adhere to contradictory communication policies. I further suggest that the associated policy initiatives render the US culpable, if not wholly responsible, for the physical violence that people may fall victim to as a result of using the technology it actively helps develop and promote. I also contend that the US’s attempt to establish the guiding norms and govern the behavior in “cyberspace” is an example of “international governmentality,” a contemporary variant of Michel Foucault’s notion concerning modern power relations. Following this, I demonstrate how Foucault’s understanding of governmentality reveals important aspects of the US-led cyber agenda that remain hidden in the rhetoric; aspects which allow for a more complete assessment of the policy and its implications.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Pettys, Geoffrey S"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"International Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:03:52Z","subjects":["liberal governmentality","cyberspace","foucault","internet freedom","epistemic violence"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://via.library.depaul.edu/etd/131","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Pettys, Geoffrey S"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2012-09-12T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["International Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["liberal governmentality","cyberspace","foucault","internet freedom","epistemic violence"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://via.library.depaul.edu/etd/131"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis critically assesses the US’s “International Strategy for Cyberspace,” its policies concerning Internet freedom, and its corollary promotion of global connectivity via Information and Communication Technology. I argue that the Internet freedom discourse constitutes a form of epistemic violence that the US government and its like-minded allies perpetrate against those who adhere to contradictory communication policies. I further suggest that the associated policy initiatives render the US culpable, if not wholly responsible, for the physical violence that people may fall victim to as a result of using the technology it actively helps develop and promote. I also contend that the US’s attempt to establish the guiding norms and govern the behavior in “cyberspace” is an example of “international governmentality,” a contemporary variant of Michel Foucault’s notion concerning modern power relations. Following this, I demonstrate how Foucault’s understanding of governmentality reveals important aspects of the US-led cyber agenda that remain hidden in the rhetoric; aspects which allow for a more complete assessment of the policy and its implications.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The connectivity doctrine: A critique of techo-utopian discourse, liberal governmentality, and the colonization of cyberspace"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Pettys, Geoffrey S"],"dc:date.available":["2012-09-12T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis critically assesses the US’s “International Strategy for Cyberspace,” its policies concerning Internet freedom, and its corollary promotion of global connectivity via Information and Communication Technology. I argue that the Internet freedom discourse constitutes a form of epistemic violence that the US government and its like-minded allies perpetrate against those who adhere to contradictory communication policies. I further suggest that the associated policy initiatives render the US culpable, if not wholly responsible, for the physical violence that people may fall victim to as a result of using the technology it actively helps develop and promote. I also contend that the US’s attempt to establish the guiding norms and govern the behavior in “cyberspace” is an example of “international governmentality,” a contemporary variant of Michel Foucault’s notion concerning modern power relations. Following this, I demonstrate how Foucault’s understanding of governmentality reveals important aspects of the US-led cyber agenda that remain hidden in the rhetoric; aspects which allow for a more complete assessment of the policy and its implications.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://via.library.depaul.edu/etd/131"],"dc:subject":["liberal governmentality","cyberspace","foucault","internet freedom","epistemic violence"],"dc:title":["The connectivity doctrine: A critique of techo-utopian discourse, liberal governmentality, and the colonization of cyberspace"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["International Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:03:52Z"}