A Research Agenda for Neoliberalism

204 Pages·2017·5.526 MB·English

by  Kean Birch

A Research Agenda for Neoliberalism
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Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading
scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and
map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary.
Forward-looking and innovative, Elgar Research Agendas are an essential
resource for PhD students, scholars and anybody who wants to be at the
forefront of research.
Titles in the series include:
A Research Agenda for Management A Research Agenda for
and Organization Studies Entrepreneurship and Context
Edited by Barbara Czarniawska Edited by Friederike Welter and
William B. Gartner
A Research Agenda for Cities
Edited by John Rennie Short A Research Agenda for
Neoliberalism
Kean Birch
BIRCH 9781786433589 PRINT.indd 2 10/08/2017 10:35
A Research
Agenda for
Neoliberalism
KEAN BIRCH
Senior Associate, Innovation Policy Lab, University of Toronto, Canada
Elgar Research Agendas
Cheltenham, UK • Northampton, MA, USA
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© Kean Birch 2017
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical or photocopying, recording, or otherwise without
the prior permission of the publisher.
Published by
Edward Elgar Publishing Limited
The Lypiatts
15 Lansdown Road
Cheltenham
Glos GL50 2JA
UK
Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc.
William Pratt House
9 Dewey Court
Northampton
Massachusetts 01060
USA
A catalogue record for this book
is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017936583
This book is available electronically in the
Social and Political Science subject collection
DOI 10.4337/9781786433596
ISBN 978 1 78643 358 9 (cased)
ISBN 978 1 78643 359 6 (eBook)
Typeset by Servis Filmsetting Ltd, Stockport, Cheshire
2
0
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For Sheila and Maple
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Contents
List of figures viii
List of tables ix
Acknowledgements x
1 Introduction 1
PART I WHAT IS NEOLIBERALISM?
2 An intellectual history of neoliberal thought 13
3 How to think like a neoliberal 35
PART II CURRENT CONCEPTIONS OF NEOLIBERALISM
4 Different conceptions of neoliberalism 57
5 Struggling with neoliberalism as a concept 79
PART III A NEW RESEARCH AGENDA FOR NEOLIBERALISM
6 Neoliberalism and the problem of the corporation 103
7 From entrepreneurship to rentiership in neoliberalism 129
8 Neoliberalism as a contract-based order 156
9 Conclusion 180
Index 189
vii
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Figures
4.1 The popularity of neoliberalism in academic debate 59
4.2 The popularity of globalization and neoliberalism in
academic debate 60
4.3 Books with “neoliberal, neoliberalism, free market” in
them (1900–2008) 62
6.1 Four most popular undergraduate degrees in UK,
2007–2014 122
7.1 Firm entry and exit rates – USA (1977–2014) 140
7.2 Self-employment rates (2007=100) – USA, UK, and
Canada (2007–2015) 142
viii
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Tables
2.1 Schools of neoliberal thought 25
5.1 Academic topics and neoliberalism 81
5.2 Academic disciplines and neoliberalism 83
5.3 New regulatory agencies, UK 91
5.4 Government spending (% GDP) 92
6.1 Neoliberal perspectives of corporate monopoly,
1920s–1950s 111
6.2 Three eras of corporate capitalism 114
ix
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