Exam Flashcards
4 ways in which
neoliberalism has been analyzed until recently (Question 1)
- privatization of government
run sectors - market-driven policy
decisions - ending “big government”
- some: association with
“laissez faire” capitalism
-> none of them captures the
contours of neoliberalism
Neoliberalism seen as … today (Q1)
- Intellectual project
- Political project (from the
right to centre-left) - Scalar transformation of the
state - Formation of the new citizen
and the neoliberal soul
Paradoxes of Neoliberalism (Q1)
1) Paradox: “small government” and strengthened power of the state at the same time
○ Privatization, reduction of welfare (eg unemployment insurance), War against organized unions, more flexible laws for hiring and firing, criminalization of poverty
○ Centralization of police power, harsher law and order => more police, more people in prison, more govt through executive power bypassing parliament, less democratic accountability
2) Paradox: from the far-right (80s) to the centre-left (90s): The Third Way
-> reduction of social
insurance, unemployment
benefits
-> introduction of workfare
regimes
-> why? professionalization
of labour parties,
economists not workers
anymore
Nancy Fraser -> how did “progressive” neoliberalism create the care crisis? (Q2)
- contradiction out of social
crisis tendency of capitalism:
social reproduction as
condition for ongoing
capital accumulation BUT
capitalism destabilizes these
processes on which it relies
on - industrialization separated
economic and social
reproduction => devalue
the labour the economy
depends on - desinvestment from social
welfare whilst recruiting
women in labour force
-> externalizing care work
onto families but
diminishing their capacities
to do so
-> result: dualized organisation of social reproduction: commodified for those who can afford it, privatized for those who can’t
-> care work transferred to
racialized women/migrants
Sarah Farris: how are female migrants to Europe cast as a solution to the crisis of social reproduction
- To fill care gap -> mostly
migrant women from, poor/
rural background take up
reproductive labour
-> to do this migrants must
transfer their own familial
and community
responsibility to other
poorer caregivers -> global
care chains
Ø Economization of care
○ Care becomes
commodity, subject to
market imperatives of
efficiency, productivity
and profit -> against logic
of care -> care crisis
Ø Transnationalization of care
○ Global care chain in
response to care crisis in
GN
○ - > care migration -> care drain
Ø Femonationalism
○ Discoursive convergence
of nationalists, some
feminists and neoliberal
governments
○ Co-optation of feminist
ideals into anti-migration
and ati-islam campaaigns
○ Non-western women, esp
muslim, as victims of their
own culture => wage work
and integration (in
household) as
emancipation from non-
western patriarchy
○ Alienation of female
migrants from their
communities
Marlene Laruelle: Illiberalism is not anti-liberal -> what did she mean by that? (Q3)
- Different forms on non-
liberalism -> illiberalism is
not a synonm for it - illiberalism is a form of post-
liberalism, an ideology that
looks skeptically at
liberalism, and yet does not
completely reject it
pushes back against
liberalism after having
experienced it;
-> this “post-” aspect is critical
because it explains the
disillusioned tone of
illiberalism
According to laruelle, what are the core features of illiberal idelogies? (Q3)
- Illiberalism as a new ideological universe (but fluid and context-based)
- backlash against today’s polit, cult, economic liberalism (often in name of democracy)
- proposes solutions that are majoritarian, nation-centric or sovergeinist, favouring traditional hierarchies and cultural homogeneity
- Claims of rootedness in age of globalisation (anti-globalization, anti-migration, anti multi-culturalism etc)
=> Illiberalism strives for homogenous hierarchy, “return” to traditional commuinty and state & for rootedness against globalisatiom, cosmopolitanism, mobility
Gendered Nature of Citizenship - period of “classical” neoliberalism
- women enter paid labour market -> cooptation: capitalist exploitation sold as independence and freedom
=> seprate spheres remain, just women integrate into the male sphere - neoliberal motherig: extreme personalization of risk -> centered around “choice” -> lifestyle in focus
-> structural care crisis -> female migrants fill the gap -> global care chains, Femonationalism
-> care extractivism
-> migrant women’s relation to citizenship often defined by the care wrk they provide
Gendered nature of Citizenship under the rise of illiberalism
- backlash against gender
equality and LGBTIQ+ rights
-> hetero fam as ideal
-> more reproduction instead
of migration
From Welfare to Workfare Regimes
- tax cuts instead of universal
benefits (mid-class fam
benefit most)
- flat income and flat (super
high) VAT
- parental leave linked to
employment (indexed) ->
means tested social
assistance and universal
family allowance not
- mortgage forgiveness for
birth (if enough capital and
work history)
- women expected to work
for wages -> conservative
and neoliberal at the same
time
possibilities of response and resistance to these contemporary challenges for gender equality
- against co-optation -> not supporting the fundamental structures for a little benefit to some women
Poland: new strategies independent of state funding, mobilization beyond the feminist movements: linking to other pro-democratic movements, reaching young ppl and rural women via internet
Croatia: new waves of activism, wider coalition of actors, diversified capacities, some feminist involved in govt policy debates -> using every possibility to influence laws and oppose anti-gender groups
Laruelle Summary of Illiberalism
- Illiberalism Reacts to Liberalism: It critiques and reacts against certain parts of liberalism without completely rejecting it.
-
Core Features:
- Majority Rule: Focuses on what benefits the majority.
- National Sovereignty: Emphasizes strong, independent nations.
- Unified Culture: Promotes a single national culture.
- Traditional Values: Supports traditional social structures and gender roles.
- Against Globalization: Favors national identity and resists global interconnectedness.
core features illiberalism by Laruelle (Q3)
-
Majoritarian and National-Centric Solutions:
- Majority Rule: Illiberalism focuses on what benefits the majority of people, often at the expense of minority rights.
- National Sovereignty: It emphasizes the importance of having strong, independent nations that don’t rely on international organizations.
- Unified Culture: Illiberalism promotes a single, unified national culture instead of embracing multiculturalism and diversity.
-
Reaction Against Liberal Values:
- Political Liberalism: Illiberalism is skeptical of the liberal focus on individual rights and protections for minorities, preferring collective identity.
- Economic Liberalism: It criticizes free-market policies and prefers more state control and protectionism to support the national economy.
- Cultural Liberalism: Illiberalism opposes liberal acceptance of cultural, sexual, and racial diversity, favoring traditional values.
- Geopolitical Liberalism: It resists the global liberal order and promotes national pride and sovereignty.
- Liberal Self-Critique: Illiberalism pushes back against liberalism’s critical view of its own colonial and imperial past.
-
Emphasis on Traditional Hierarchies:
- Traditional Social Structures: Illiberalism supports traditional social hierarchies, such as those based on gender and class.
- Gender Roles: It promotes traditional gender roles, often emphasizing family and motherhood while resisting modern gender equality movements.
-
Sense of Rootedness:
- Against Globalization: Illiberalism favors national identity and resists the global interconnectedness promoted by liberalism.
- Resisting Migration: It often opposes large-scale migration, advocating for policies that encourage higher birth rates among the native population instead.
Gendered citiyenship under Neoliberalism
Market-Oriented Reforms:
- Privatization: Governments sell off public services like healthcare and pensions to private companies.
- Deregulation: Reduce government rules to make it easier for businesses to operate and compete.
2. Workfare Policies:
- Emphasis on Employment: People must work or participate in job training to receive welfare benefits.
- Conditional Benefits: Welfare is not given freely; you have to meet certain conditions to get it.
3. Reduction in Social Protections:
- Cutbacks: Spending on welfare programs like unemployment insurance, pensions, and healthcare is reduced.
- Targeted Assistance: Benefits are only given to the very poor, and you have to prove you need them.
4. Decentralization:
- Local Governance: Local governments or private groups take over some welfare responsibilities.
- Flexibility: Policies make it easier for companies to hire and fire workers, promoting a flexible job market
gendered citizenship under llliberalism
Centralized Decision-Making:
- Authority: Power is concentrated in a few hands, allowing quick implementation of reforms without democratic checks.
- Examples: In Hungary, major decisions are made by the executive branch without parliamentary review.
2. Workfare Emphasis:
- Workfare Policies: Welfare is closely tied to labor market participation, often through low-wage public works.
- Examples: Hungary’s public works programs are the main form of support for the unemployed.
3. Stratification and Inequality:
- Favoring the Middle Class: Policies are designed to benefit the middle class and wealthier people more than the poor.
- Examples: Tax benefits in Hungary mainly help middle-class families.
Difference btw neoliberalism and illiberalism
Centralized Decision-Making:
- Authority: Power is concentrated in a few hands, allowing quick implementation of reforms without democratic checks.
- Examples: In Hungary, major decisions are made by the executive branch without parliamentary review.
2. Workfare Emphasis:
- Workfare Policies: Welfare is closely tied to labor market participation, often through low-wage public works.
- Examples: Hungary’s public works programs are the main form of support for the unemployed.
3. Stratification and Inequality:
- Favoring the Middle Class: Policies are designed to benefit the middle class and wealthier people more than the poor.
- Examples: Tax benefits in Hungary mainly help middle-class families.
