Open AccessUnderstanding Neoliberalism, Media and the Political: An Interview with Sean Phelan
Author(s) -
Simon Dawes,
Sean Phelan
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
networking knowledge
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1755-9944
DOI - 10.31165/nk.2016.95.463
Subject(s) - neoliberalism (international relations) , ideology , sociology , politics , field (mathematics) , cultural studies , media studies , epistemology , social science , political science , law , anthropology , philosophy , mathematics , pure mathematics
In this interview, Sean Phelan discusses the differences between ‘ideological’ and ‘post-ideological’ or ‘post-political’ neoliberalism, and sets out his own approach to critiquing neoliberalism, which draws on Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory and Bourdieu’s field theory. Arguing for the benefits of a comparative cross-national approach, he illustrates examples of ‘actually existing neoliberalism’ in UK, US, Ireland and New Zealand contexts. Phelan concludes the interview by suggesting potential sites of cultural politics and the possibility of a radically different kind of media and political culture.