Description
Book SynopsisExamines reform in Russia beyond the Washington Consensus. This title uses the Russian case to examine neoliberalism as a central form of political rationality in contemporary societies.
Trade Review"[T]he overall arguments are clearly and exhaustively explicated, and Collier demonstrates a strong grasp of economics and economic history... [M]uch is provided that will interest a variety of scholars of political economy, as well as those with areal interests."--Samuel Schueth, Social Anthropology "Ambitious in its scope and level of detail, theoretically sophisticated and empirically rich, Collier's latest book makes an important contribution to Foucauldian scholarship. In particular, it helps us appreciate the significance and uniqueness of the Soviet biopolitical project, while suggesting a productive line of inquiry into the nexus between neoliberalism and social modernity. It also encourages us to critically interrogate neoliberal narratives in terms of their history and effects, to appreciate the flexibility of neoliberal reforms and to focus on specific practices in order to understand what makes them neoliberal."--Volha Piotukh, Foucault Studies "[B]y advocating the study of the actual ideas and policies, not merely the political manifestos, of economists and international financial institutions like the World Bank, as they change in interaction with material and social structures, Collier advances our understanding of socialism, postsocialism, and neoliberalism. This book would be useful in graduate courses on neoliberalism and postsocialism."--Johanna Bockman, Slavic Review "Undoubtedly, Collier's book is complex, yet highly rewarding, and this reviewer is certain that this book will transform not only our perception of how neoliberal reform actually worked in places like post-Soviet Russia, but also how we approach neoliberalism as an object of anthropological inquiry."--Valter Cvijic, Anthropological Notebooks
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations and Tables ix Preface: Formal and Substantive xi Acknowledgments xv Chapter One: Introduction: Post-Soviet, Post-Social? 1 Part I: Soviet Social Modernity 31 Chapter Two: The Birth of Soviet Biopolitics 39 Chapter Three: City-building 65 Chapter Four: City-building in Belaya Kalitva 84 Chapter Five: Consolidation, Stagnation, Breakup 108 Part II: Neoliberalism and Social Modernity 127 Chapter Six: Adjustment Problems 139 Chapter Seven: Budgets and Biopolitics: On Substantive Provisioningand Formal Rationalization 162 Chapter Eight: The Intransigence of Things 202 Epilogue: An Ineffective Controversy 245 Notes 253 References 279 Index 299
