Critique and Resistance in a Neoliberal Age

This book lays the conceptual groundwork for a coalition of struggles under the neoliberal age. In doing so, the author demonstrates that, despite talk of fragmention, divisions and conflicts, the present situation offers fresh opportunities for connecting diverse solidarities. Critique and Resistance in a Neoliberal Age explores what connects individuals, not only between neoliberal conditions of economic, cultural and environmental domination but also in resistance. It also highlights the transformative power of human action, by grounding neoliberal processes in human action and demonstrating the relevance of, and opportunities for, emancipatory politics today.

Offering a critique oriented towards social change, informed by a broad range of theoretical traditions and empirical research, the book will be of interest to students and scholars in the fields of sociology, politics and philosophy, as well as those interested in the possibilities for social change.

Charles Masquelier is Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Exeter, UK. His research interests span social theory, political theory and political philosophy, with particular interests in critical theory, social movements and libertarian socialism. 

“Neoliberalism forces progressive social movements to innovate their very conceptions and practices of resistance. Reflecting on the development of an emancipatory critique of capitalism and the contribution of Marxism to it, this volume presents an original perspective on current protests against austerity and their potential for challenging dominant forms of domination.” (Donatella della Porta, Scuola Normale Superiore, Italy)

“One of the most vexing challenges facing the Left today is figuring out how to forge a robust coalition of people with different identities, located in different social positions, capable of sustained collective action for a better world. This book is a strikingly original and insightful contribution to clarifying this problem and pointing towards solutions.” (Erik Olin Wright, University of Wisconsin – Madison, USA)

“Masquelier memorably disentangles the deep structures underlying the neoliberal condition, notably financialization, flexibilization, privatization and socially-induced environmental degradation.  He then breaks fresh ground: departing from neoliberal fatalism he revisits in arresting terms the core constituents of a rational utopia. Here he draws ingeniously both on the well-established practices of the international cooperative movement and the innovative potential of the digital open-source commons.  The book is a model of how the demystification of contemporary domination can be linked afresh to the radical project for social transformation.” (Bridget Fowler, University of Glasgow, UK)