Imperial Subjects: Citizenship in an age of crisis and empire

Description

This highly original work posits that the changes in the nature of citizenship caused by neoliberal globalization must be understood as the result of an ongoing imperial project. Although they may seem admirable, policies such as humanitarian and citizenship rights are really an imperial venture led by global institutions and corporations in order to export capitalist market forces worldwide. This entails a form of neoliberal citizenship in which social security is replaced by market insecurity and rising inequality. In this light, the citizen becomes an “imperial subject” whose needs and desires have been colonized by the global market. However, emerging social forces in Latin America and elsewhere have begun to challenge this imperialist logic, fostering a resistance that may bring forth a new global vision of citizenship. This unique analysis draws together neoliberal citizenship, new imperialism, and the creation of ‘financial subjects’ into an innovative theoretical exploration. By expanding the debate on global citizenship, Imperial Subjects will engage readers in political and social sciences interested in contemporary political thought, citizenship, and globalization. Cover Contents Acknowledgements Introduction: Capitalism, Citizenship and Empire 1 Birth of the Liberal Subject: Commodities, Money and Citizenship 2 States of Insecurity: From Social Rights to Social Debts 3 'Securitizing' Empire: Small Wars and Humanitarian Fantasies 4 States of Security: From Social Security to the Security State 5 Contesting Empire: Beyond the Citizenship Illusion Bibliography Index