Neoliberalism

'''Neoliberalism '''

discussion        “Neoliberalism extends this logic (see ‘neo-classical theory’ above) by supporting policies and worldviews that would support and expand the ability of individuals to make basic decisions concerning the investment of time and money and the consumption of goods and services. In many developing countries, neo-liberalism has also entailed a wide set of programs and policies aimed at dismantling or considerably reducing the ability of national governments to protect vulnerable groups and sectors of the economy from market volatility and economic downturn” (Johnson 2009:5).

“Neoliberalism … is not monolithic, but has varying forms and consequences nationally and locally. Its overall focus and its stunning silences are helpfully summed up by Farmer (2000:5):

‘Neoliberalism generally refers to the ideology that advocates the dominance of a competition-driven market model. Within this doctrine, individuals in a society are motivated primarily by economic or material concerns. But this ideology has little to say about the social and economic inequalities that distort real economies. As a physician who has worked for much of my adult life among the poor of Haiti and the United States, I know that the laws of supply and demand will rarely serve the interests of my patients’” (Edelman and Haugerud 2005: 4).