Description
Book SynopsisVerónica Gago provides a new theory of neoliberalism by examining how Latin American neoliberalism is propelled not just from above by international finance, corporations, and government, but by the activities of migrant workers, vendors, sweatshop workers, and other marginalized groups in and around the La Salada market in Buenos Aires.
Trade Review“Verónica Gago’s
Neoliberalism from Below represents an important milestone in this biopolitical turn in the study of neoliberalism. . . . In fact,
Neoliberalism from Below has already in Latin America become a kind of field manual for the type of militant research of which Gago is herself an important purveyor.” -- Nicolas Allen * A Contracorriente *
"A tour de force through more than a century of economic and political thought . . . It should be on the reading list of any scholar working with themes of informality, neoliberalism, or developmentalism." -- Calla Hummel * Latin American Politics and Society *
"Brings a much-needed perspective from the Global South to theoretical debates concerning neoliberalism. . . .
Neoliberalism from Below masterfully achieves the task it set out to do--namely to characterize neoliberalism . . . A necessary addition to the literature." -- Andrew Davis * Journal of Cultural Economy *
"Gago presents her audience with a provocative argument that examines the contradictions of neoliberal capitalism, particularly how it uses, but is also used by, precarious labor. . . . A significant contribution that sits with neoliberalism’s paradoxical manifestations. It is critical reading for those interested in theorizing the shifting dynamics of late capitalism." -- Steven Schmidt * Journal of Latin American Geography *
"A fascinating and original account of the production of neoliberalism from the perspective of popular economic practices in Argentina. . . . This skillful translation into English by Liz Mason-Deese . . . is a major theoretical contribution that sheds light on other rationalities which are permeating neoliberalism in Latin America." -- Mara Duer * Journal of Latin American Studies *
"An enthralling read. . . . Such is the richness of the work that attempting to review it was a daunting, and at times seemingly thankless, task – should one focus on its contributions to (Southern) urban geography? Attempt to unpack the discussion of governmentality and populism? Or trace its refreshingly nuanced take on ‘slave labour’? . . . Gago is a voice that must be listened to. . . . Alongside the other books in Duke’s
Radical Américas series, Gago has made an invaluable contribution that reiterates once more that Latin American thinking is among the most exciting in the world." -- Nick Clare * Dialogues in Human Geography *
"Anthropologists of work will find the book significant for its discussion of migrants, blurring the classical definitions of work, as they mix wage labor with entrepreneurial projects or self-employment in ways that problematize the division between formal and informal work. . . . [Gago] effectively considers the ways in which configurations of work are generative for how urban space develops—a contribution that will extend beyond the book’s focus on Argentina." -- Schuyler Therese Marquez * Anthropology of Work Review *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments vii
Introduction. Neoliberalism from Below: A Perspective from Latin America 1
1. Between the Proletarian Microeconomy and the Transnational Network: La Salada 29
2. Between La Salada and the Workshop: Communitarian Wealth in Dispute 78
3. Between Servitude and the New Popular Entrepreneurship: The Clandestine Textile Workshop 108
4. Between the Workshop and the Villa: A Discussion about Neoliberalism 153
5. Between Postnational Citizenship and the Ghetto: The Motley City 178
6. Between Populism and the Politics of the Governed: Governmentality and Autonomy 218
Conclusion. Neoliberal Reason 234
Notes 237
References 257
Index 271
