In this thesis I explore neoliberalism and resistance to neoliberalism by focusing on the relatively
recent rise of radical, local anti-poverty organizations in Canada, particularly on the Ontario
Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) in Toronto. To accomplish this exploration, I present a brief
history of neoliberalization in two ways: first in theory, exploring the phenomenon in general, and
then in a more specific context, through the study of neoliberalization in Ontario. Special emphasis
is given to the ways in which contemporary processes of neoliberalization tend to discourage
collective action and movement formation, and encourage the ideological, discursive, and practical
depoliticization of issues and communities. In addition, I suggest that Ontario’s neoliberalization
has led mainstream left forces to retreat to a more moderate support base in the middle class,
leaving poor people and anti-poverty activists with little potential for meaningful participation in
political processes. The lack of avenues for participation, I argue, discourages the development the
development of a sense of agency for poor people and anti-poverty activists. This agency is framed
here as political dignity.
After presenting a history OCAP, I conclude by suggesting that radical, local anti-poverty
organizations make an important contribution to combating some of the outcomes of
neoliberalization presented here. By using a broad range of scholarship (including working-class
focused sociology, post-colonial theory, and others), I argue that OCAP’s key contribution to antineoliberal
struggles is the way in which the organization encourages political dignity building
through engaged, confrontational participation.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uvic.ca/oai:dspace.library.uvic.ca:1828/1098 |
| Date | 28 August 2008 |
| Creators | Newberry, David |
| Contributors | James, Matt |
| Source Sets | University of Victoria |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Available to the World Wide Web |
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