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Outline

Keyword: Neoliberalism

Abstract

Clover for helping me to think about the material below.) This paper is a very cursory exploration of neoliberalism as a concept. It is impossible to survey the vast amount of work on this topic. There are three things I hope to do instead: mention some key currents, articulate where I find the term more and less useful as an attempt to grasp contemporary social reality, and consider what the rise of reference to neoliberalism itself indexes.

FAQs

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What explains the reluctance to name capitalism in discussions of neoliberalism?add

The analysis reveals a tendency to avoid naming capitalism as a primary cause of societal destitution, favoring critiques of neoliberalism instead, thus limiting discourse on systemic issues (2023). This reluctance is underscored by historic defenses of democracy against market conditions, as observed by Christian Harper.

How do neoliberal policies impact higher education according to recent critiques?add

The study finds that neoliberalization has profoundly reshaped higher education, transforming the professoriate in ways that threaten its perceived distinction and social value (2023). Critics like Wendy Brown argue that this transformation undermines the traditional role of academia in fostering democratic ideals.

What does Wendy Brown identify as the core threat of neoliberalism?add

Brown argues that neoliberalism fundamentally assaults democracy, altering its principles and institutions to prioritize economic conduct (2023). Her view frames neoliberalism as a normative order that infiltrates all human endeavors, reducing them to economic metrics.

How do historical perspectives on welfare impact the understanding of contemporary neoliberalism?add

The essay emphasizes that analyses often overlook the unique socio-economic complexities of the post-WWII era (2023). It critiques the oversimplification of welfare systems as purely protective against neoliberalism, ignoring their roles in reproducing class relations.

What does the term 'accumulation by dispossession' refer to in the context of neoliberalism?add

Accumulation by dispossession denotes a process, described by David Harvey, where capital secures profit through dispossession of marginalized groups, transforming them into the global working class (2023). This phenomenon has intensified since the 1970s, highlighting inherent capitalist disparities.

References (8)

  1. Benanav, Aaron, and John Clegg. "Misery and Debt: On the Logic and History of Surplus Populations and Surplus Capital." In Contemporary Marxist Theory. Eds. Andrew Pendakis et al. New York: Bloomsbury, 2014. 585-608.
  2. Brown, Wendy. Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism's Stealth Revolution. New York: Zone Books, 2015. Eagleton, Terry. "The death of universities." The Guardian, 17 December 2010: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/dec/17/death-universities-malaise-tuition-fees.
  3. Garland, Christian, and Stephen Harper. "Did Somebody Say Neoliberalism?: On the Uses and Limitations of a Critical Concept in Media and Communication Studies." tripleC 10.2 (2012): 413-424.
  4. Harvey, David. A Brief History of Neoliberalism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
  5. Huber, Matthew. "Refined Politics: Petroleum Products, Neoliberalism, and the Ecology of Entrepreneurial Life." Journal of American Studies 46 (May 2012): 295-312.
  6. McNally, David. "From Financial Crisis to World-Slump: Accumulation, Financialisation, and the Global Slowdown." Historical Materialism 17 (2009): 35-83.
  7. Mitropoulos, Angela. "Precari-Us?" (March 2005): http://eipcp.net/transversal/0704/mitropoulos/en Midnight Notes Collective. "Introduction to the New Enclosures," Midnight Notes 10 (1990): 1-9.
  8. Ross, Kristin. Fast Cars, Clean Bodies: Decolonization and the Reordering of French Culture. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1995.