Neoliberalism and Neoliberalization: Helpful Devices for the Analysis of Urban Development in the Middle East and North Africa

Neoliberalism is a widely used in social science to refer to processes such as privatization, deregulation, commodification, and austerity. Quite often in this interpretative framework, neoliberalism is also associated with the dismantling of the welfare state, the opening up of free trade and investment, and an increased emphasis on the private sector. In the academic discussion, various authors criticize the use of the term because it lacks analytical clarity and/or is used as a political slogan to denounce social and economic change. The aim of the article is neither to question the analytical dimension nor to develop an irrefutable definition, but to provide insight into the strength of a place- and time-sensitive discussion of neoliberalism.