Dr. Shannon Winnubst113A University Hall T/Th 4:30-5:30 & by appt.

Neoliberalism and Difference

WGSS 870

Spring 2012

It seems to me that we are seeing the birth, maybe for a

short period or maybe for a longer period, of a new art of

government.

--Michel Foucault

The Birth of Biopolitics, 176

Neoliberalism is arguably one of the most frequently circulating terms in current academic and non-academic political conversations. Accordingly, it invokes a remarkably elastic set of meanings that run the gamut of political fealties: it can refer, for its advocates, to the enlightened state of a free market that is the essence of democracy or, for its critics, to the evils of the economic doctrines of globalization, particularly as linked to the IMF and World Bank. This course examines both the economic doctrines involved in neoliberalism and its cultural manifestations, with particular emphasis on the transformation in the category of social difference. Through a careful reading of Foucault’s 1979 lectures and a survey of scholarship on neoliberalism, the course will examine the differences between Marxist and Foucauldian analyses of neoliberalism, while also attempting to map how neoliberalism transforms the category of social difference from its prior moorings in liberalism and the myth of neutrality.

Required Texts:

Michel Foucault, The Birth of Biopolitics

Lisa Duggan, The Twilight of Equality

David Harvey, A Brief History of Neoliberalism

Jodi Dean, Democracy and Other Neoliberal Fantasies

David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race: Reflections on Racial Neoliberalism

Elizabeth Povinelli, Economies of Abandonment: Social Belonging and Endurance in

Late Liberalism

Readings on Carmen (* below)

Course Requirements:

Participation & Attendance-35%

Critical participation in this seminar is essential to the success of both the seminar and the individual student. This means I expect each of us to arrive at each class meeting fully prepared to enter our ongoing discussion. To be fully prepared means one has completed the reading, taken some time to reflect on it, and formulated some questions, themes, dynamics to discuss in the seminar. I do not expect any student to miss more than one class meeting; doing so will lower this portion of your grade, incrementally.

Exegesis of Foucault’s Lectures-30%

1500 word summary and analysis of Foucault’s lectures due May 1st at 4 p.m. in my box in 286 UH.

Final Essay-35%

A final essay, 15-18 pages, on some theme of the course is due June 5th at 12 p.m. in my box in 286 UH. I recommend that you discuss your topic with me. Most, but not all, topics will require additional texts beyond those discussed in class.

Schedule of Readings

March 28-course introduction: what is neoliberalism?!

[what is classical liberalism?]

April 4-Harvey, Chapters 1-3, 7

Duggan, Introduction and Chapters 1-3

April 11-Foucault, Lectures One – Four

[neoliberalism as intensification of classical liberalism]

[recommend: Lemke [Carmen]; Brown [Carmen];

Mirowski & Plewhe’s The Road from Mont Pelerin]

April 18-Foucault, Lectures Five – Eight [German ordoliberalisim]

April 25-Foucault, Lectures Nine – Eleven [American neo-liberalism]

Becker, “The Economic Way of Looking at Life,” Accounting for Tastes [Carmen]

Schultz, “Investment in Human Capital,” Investment in Human Capital [Carmen]

[recommend: Harcourt, The Illusion of Free Markets]

May 2-Dean, Introduction & Chapter Two

Dean, “Drive as the Structure of Biopolitics” [Carmen]

Salecl, “The Society of Choice” [Carmen]

May 9-Melamed, “The Spirit of Neoliberalism” [Carmen]

Springer, “Bootstrap Theory Remixed” [Carmen]

Singh, “Civil Rights, Civic Myths” [Carmen]

Singh, “Rethinking Race and Nation” [Carmen]

[recommend: Giroux, Against the Terror of Neoliberalism;

Ong, Neoliberalism as Exception]

WGSS Lecture, Tania Modleski, Wexner Center, 4:30 p.m.

May 14-WGSS Lecture, Ladelle McWhorter, Ohio Union Great Hall

Meeting Room, 3:30 p.m.

May 15-Workshop with Ladelle McWhorter: “Genealogy as

Methodology,” UH 156, 10:00 a.m.

May 16-Goldberg, Chapters 1-3, 8

May 18-19-Queer Studies Conference at OSU

May 23-Povinelli, Introduction & Chapters 1-3

May 30-Rosenberg & Villarejo, “Queerness, Norms, Utopia” [Carmen]

two essays from glq Winter 2012: “Queer Studies and the Crisis of Capitalism” [tbd by class; access TOC via library website]

June 5-Final essay due by 12 p.m.—box in 286UH