Historicizing the Ideology of ‘the Market’

Main author: Eagleton-Pierce, Matthew
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-35154
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
topic H Social Sciences (General)
JZ International relations
description The concept of the market is a linchpin notion in the analysis of contemporary capitalism. This article seeks to question how the term has tended to oscillate between two problematic types of use: either underspecifying the history and politics tied to the concept or, conversely, overloading the notion with a proliferation of too many meanings and applications. As a way to chart an alternative approach which can objectify and critique some of these patterns, this paper re-excavates the notion of ‘the market’ through a historicization of its ideological production and consumption. In particular, the argument brings political economy scholarship into a conversation with theoretical advances in the analysis of ideology, notably Michael Freeden’s so-called ‘morphological approach’. The article illuminates not only past usage patterns but also how the potency of the expression has been refreshed within recent decades associated with neoliberalism. In this way, through a dissection of this master category, the article also aims to contribute to identifying more precisely what is new in the neoliberal ideological ecosystem.
format Journal Article
author Eagleton-Pierce, Matthew
author_facet Eagleton-Pierce, Matthew
authorStr Eagleton-Pierce, Matthew
author_letter Eagleton-Pierce, Matthew
title Historicizing the Ideology of ‘the Market’
publisher Sage
publishDate 2021
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/35154/