Neoliberalism as Doxa: Bourdieu's Theory of the State and the Contemporary Indian Discourse on Globalization and Liberalization

“It’s a game, you've got to play the game”: Motivation and ‘Being Employable’ in Ontario Unemployment Supports

“…Initially implemented through conditional loans to developing nations by international financial institutions, the widespread adoption and application of neoliberal doctrines in public policy indicates that neoliberalism has become the dominant economic doctrine. This is a trend that has been well documented in other studies (Braedley and Luxton, 2010;Brown, 2005;Chopra, 2003;Gershon, 2011;Glyn, 2001;Prasad, 2006;Silva 1993, Wilson, 1994. While the specific permutations of neoliberal doctrine are not uniform across nation states, in general neoliberal ideology is characterized by rhetoric promoting deregulation of industries and national economies, privatization of state enterprises (including social services) and flexibilization of labour (Chopra, 2003;Clark, 2002;Gershon, 2011;Luxton, 2010;Siltanen et al, 2009;Thomas, 2010;Ward, 2007).…”

“…Even before the economic recession of 2008, economic liberalization, couched in terminology of restructuring, and labour reforms, had been touted as a necessary process for reinvigorating struggling economies and creating jobs (Chopra, 2003). Since 2008, international governments and policy makers have reaffirmed their belief in the 9 CHAPTER TWO: NEOLIBERALIZATION AND UNEMPLOYMENT effectiveness of competitive and free capitalist markets and have instituted measures to support this doctrine (Braedley and Luxton, 2010).…”

“…This doxa positions responsible citizenship as necessarily individualized, responsible, flexible and employment oriented. As such, in the neoliberal economy, 'deserving' and 'contributing' citizens are expected and assumed to embody a neoliberal habitus (Brown, 2005;Chopra, 2003;Dietz, 2002). The components of this habitus are of flexibility, individual responsibility and willingness to engage in employment and adjust to work change (Siltanen at al, 2009).…”

On a Field Trip with Bourdieu

“…The state, in this manner, shapes structures of perception and cognition across the society that the state governs. This is what Bourdieu means by the phrase “minds of state” (Bourdieu 1994:13) suggesting that the state exists as much an entity “outside” of its citizens as it exists “of” the citizens (Chopra 2003:430).…”

“…The state is first and foremost “a central bank for symbolic credit,” which makes social division, privileges, and domination universally valid within a given territory and for a given population (Bourdieu 1989). The state is special because it does not compete for the definitions of, for example, legal and educational status, because it already has pre‐eminence over these areas, and it is a metafield (Chopra 2003:429). This means that the influence of the state as a reference point in social life works not in one field only, but across all fields.…”