Understanding neoliberalism: reflections on the ‘end of politics’ in northern Italy

Abstract

This article explores the ways the discourse of economic liberalism coexists with the values of a post-peasant society in the Trentino region of northern Italy. It illustrates how values that apparently have nothing to do with politics can form the background against which a political transformation is understood. In showing how ideological messages emanating from national and regional centres are appropriated by social actors, the article suggests that the discourse of economic liberalism becomes appealing because it converges with discourses existent in 'local culture', most notably with a notion of local identity built on ideas about work and private property.