The Neoliberal Age?
Britain since the 1970s
Edited by Aled Davies, Ben Jackson, and Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite
Standard accounts of neoliberalism generally focus on the influence of political ideas in reshaping British politics; according to this narrative, neoliberalism was a right-wing ideology, peddled by political economists, think-tanks and politicians from the 1930s onwards, which finally triumphed in the 1970s and 1980s. The Neoliberal Age? suggests this narrative is too simplistic.
Where the standard story sees neoliberalism as right-wing, this book points to some left-wing origins, too; where the standard story emphasises the agency of think-tanks and politicians, this book shows that other actors from the business world were also highly significant. Where the standard story can suggest that neoliberalism transformed subjectivities and social lives, this book illuminates other forces which helped make Britain more individualistic in the late twentieth century.
The analysis thus takes neoliberalism seriously but also shows that it cannot be the only explanatory framework for understanding contemporary Britain. The book showcases cutting-edge research, making it useful to researchers and students, as well as to those interested in understanding the forces that have shaped our recent past.
Praise for The Neoliberal Age? Britain since the 1970s
'This is an interesting book, testing the neoliberal lens on a range of policies and perspectives, and finding it distorts the messiness of the historical landscape.'
The Enlightened Economist
'The Neoliberal Age? Britain since the 1970s is well worth reading and not only because the generous publishers allow you to download it free.'
Nick Cohen, The Observer
Ben Jackson is Associate Professor of Modern History at Oxford University.
Acknowledgements
Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite, Aled Davies and Ben Jackson
David Edgerton
Ben Jackson
Peter Sloman
Jim Tomlinson
Bernhard Rieger
Helen McCarthy
Jim Phillips
Sarah Mass
Camilla Schofield, Florence Sutcliffe-Braithwaite, Rob Waters
Mark Wickham-Jones
James Freeman
Neil Rollings
Aled Davies
Guy Ortolano
Tehila Sasson
Index
The Enlightened Economist
'The Neoliberal Age? Britain since the 1970s is well worth reading and not only because the generous publishers allow you to download it free.'
Nick Cohen, The Observer
Format: Open Access PDF
398 Pages
3 B&W illustrations
Copyright: © 2021
ISBN: 9781787356856
Publication: December 07, 2021
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