Neoliberalism

Question 1

4 Elements of Neoliberalism

Hyper- capitalism
Privatization
De-institutionalizing Mental Illness
Rationalism

Answer 1

Hyper- capitalism :
-“capitalism with the gloves off”
-No gov regulation (deregulation)
-liberate capital accumulation globally
-Privatization, fiscal austerity (limited gov spending) free market
Associated with Ronald Reagan and Margret Thatcher in the 80s

Privatization and minimization of public services:

• Premise: for-profit enterprises better at managing public resources
• profit motives improves efficiency
• privatizing utilities, education, military ‘security contractors”
• Reduction of Social Services
• dismantling social safety net
• defending infrastructure

De-institutionalizing Mental Illness
Pre-60's, mental hospitals were awful
Idea was for community based services, integration
- not funded though
 Limited programs
- need for residential care

Now: 1/3 of homeless mentally ill
-incarceration the only way for meds

Rationalism

• everything reduced down to cost/benefit analysis (profit)
• narrow self-interest over social needs
• Amoral: only morality as involved in rational self-interested of business
• Asocial:”There is no such thing as society. There are individuals and there are families” MT

Statistical probabilities: (big data)
- what will happen, not what should happen

Question 2

Privatization

Answer 2

Privatization and minimization of public services:

• Premise: for-profit enterprises better at managing public resources
• profit motives improves efficiency
• privatizing utilities, education, military ‘security contractors”
• Reduction of Social Services
• dismantling social safety net
• defending infrastructure

Question 3

3: Individual Rationality

Answer 3

Individual rationality:
Consistently rational; narrowly into self-gain
-choose freely between options; have all info and agency
-Deviance “normal” then; just needs to be managed
-crime not about morality or society, but pros/cons of actions

Question 4

4: Rise of Permanent Underclass

Answer 4

Before: industrial capitalism:

• Proletariat and Bourgeoisie
• Prison give time/discipline for paperwork ethic (foucault)

Now: Global Capitalism

• Outsourcing, moving production to lowest labor costs, deindustrialization of U.S
• “Precariat”- economic insecurity, under-employment
• Underclass- alienated completely

Question 5

New Penology

Rationalization

Risk Management

Shift in language

Answer 5

Rationalization:

• Cost benefit analysis
• Treating offenders as aggregates not individuals

Risk Management:
- incapacitate “high risk” offenders (underclass)

Shift in language:

• From reducing recidivism
• to cost-effective “population control”
• Parole violation shows “control” element working, not rehab failing

Why rehab no longer a goal

• Permanent Underclass
• No jobs can’t be “re-integrated” because never were integrated

Question 6

New Penology

Answer 6

Shift from rehab (or even punishment) to “risk management” and prison control

Coincides rise of neoliberalism