Recent trends have shown increasing privatization of standardization activities under various corporations, trade associations, and consortia, raising significant public policy issues about how the public interest may be represented. This book establishes a framework of analysis for public policy discussion and debate. Discussing topics such as social practices and political economic discourse, this book offers a truly interdisciplinary approach to standardization and privatization valuable to technical, economic, and political researchers and practitioners, as well as academicians involved in related fields. Contents include: (1) Introduction to the Study; (2) Standards and Standardization Practice; (3) The Global Context of Standardization; (4) Theoretical and Methodological Approaches; (5) Situated Discourse and Essential Terms; (6) Traditional Institutional Structures and Practices; (7) Discourse on Standardization: Public or Private?; and (8) Conclusion. (Each chapter contains references and endnotes.)