Neoliberalism ((3))

Catalog description

Neoliberal ideology centers primarily on elevating the role of the private sector in the public sphere, deregulation, and reducing barriers to trade. Today, both major political parties in the U.S. have many neoliberal adherents as this political and cultural thinking has become pervasive. Critics of this ideology argue that it has had a deleterious effect on the well-being of people of color and poor people across the country, often pointing to the removal of funding for public programs aimed at helping these communities as well as to the way in which free trade agreements have led to restrictive and draconian migration policies and practices. Supporters of neoliberalism point to individual success stories and a legally protected ¿color-blind¿ meritocracy as proof of a triumphant ideology. In this course, we examine the processes by which neoliberalism came to prevail and is maintained in the U.S. as well as the political, economic, and cultural discourse that has emerged since its introduction. Special attention is given to how these policies and ideologies have impacted communities of color and how these communities have responded.