Each Australian state and the Australian Capital Territory has signed a ‘whole of education department’ contract with the Microsoft® Corporation for the provision of operating systems and other software. This contracted use of Microsoft® products is one story where the purchase of specific commodities is directly connected to the provision of public schooling. It is argued that through these contracts Microsoft® exercises a hegemonic relationship with the schooling systems in Australia. The legal relationships that exist between Microsoft® Corporation and the respective Australian states and territories schooling systems seem to mutually maintain and reinforce the monopolistic, or at best, oligopolistic position of Microsoft® Corporation and its hegemony over Australian public schooling. Further, it is argued that Microsoft’s® hegemonic position in part is maintained by both establishing a ‘commonsense’ about its products and by receiving legitimation and authority through the State for its products used in Australian schools.

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DOI
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Issues
Also in this issue:
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Ryan Jenkins, David Černý and Tomáš Hříbek (eds) Autonomous Vehicle Ethics: The Trolley Problem and Beyond
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As open as possible, but as closed as necessary: openness in innovation policy
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Turning sportswashing against sportswashers: an unconventional perspective
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State secrets and compromises with capitalism: Lev Theremin and regimes of intellectual property
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In search of an author