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Distributed for University of British Columbia Press

Governing the Social in Neoliberal Times

Neoliberalism is most commonly associated with free trade, the minimal state, and competitive individualism. But it is not simply national economies that are being neoliberalized – it is us. Inspired by Michel Foucault and other governmentality theorists, this volume’s contributors reveal how neoliberalism’s power to redefine “normal” is refashioning every facet of our lives, from consumer choices and how we approach the environment, to questions of national security and border control. By challenging neoliberal ideas and practices, this thought-provoking collection encourages us to think of the world as more than a marketplace and to open ourselves to the possibilities of resistance.

328 pages | © 2019


Table of Contents

Introduction / Deborah R. Brock

Part 1: Governing Subjects, Communities, and Cultures

1 Governing Lives Worth Living: The Neoliberal Biopolitics of Disability / Kelly Fritsch

2 The Governmentality of Gay Rights: Queer Love in Neoliberal Times / Suzanne Lenon

3 Governing Cultures, Making Multicultural Subjects / Xiaobei Chen

4 Aboriginal Community Research: Government and Neoliberal Self-Determination / Daniel Huizenga and Rosemary J. Coombe

Part 2: Governing Responsibility

5 Calculating Normative Literacy, Constituting Human Capital / Tannis Atkinson

6 “Engines of Change?” Hybrid Cars, Hybrid Rationalities, and Neoliberal Environmentalism / Nicole Van Lier

7 The lululemon Manifesto: Dance, Sing, Floss, and Self-Govern / Kristin Lozanski and Christine Lavrence

8 Being Reasonable: Risk, Fear, and Specialized Peace Bonds / Mark D. Doerkson

Part 3: Governing (In)Security

9 Governing Uncertainty: Resilience and the Biopolitics of Security / Philip J. Boyle and Marcia Oliver

10 Governing through Sacrifice: Militarization, Commemoration, and Canadian Identity / Bianca Baggiarini

11 Regulating Immigrants and Managing Populations: Probationary Status and Conditionality / David Moffette

12 “Come Out and Be Free!”: Coming Out and the (International) Government of Sexualities / Azar Masoumi

Conclusion

Index

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