Shadow or Substance? Vernacular Varieties of Neoliberalism in Melanesia
Nick Bainton, Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, University of Queensland
All too often neoliberalism is deployed as a generic concept of depreciation to describe almost any economic and political development deemed undesirable. Its use as an imprecise pejorative exhortation obfuscates our understanding of local applications and appropriations of this set of political beliefs. Here I aim to move beyond simple critiques of neoliberalism and explore the ways this political discourse has become embedded throughout Melanesia. In particular I consider the appeal of certain characteristics of neoliberalism as they are manifest in the Personal Viability movement, and the ways in which this has been aligned with some distinctly Melanesian ideals. This movement emphasises competition, individual responsibility as a moral imperative, and the free market as the solution for unleashing creative potential that leads to greater individual liberty and well-being, and generally a more efficient allocation of resources. In pursing a more nuanced image of neoliberalism, I also question whether the concept helps to better explain particular processes or whether it leads us astray.
