Understanding the transnational and the domestic : the case of the neoliberal restructuring in Chile, 1973-1989

Kowalczyk, AM 2012, Understanding the transnational and the domestic : the case of the neoliberal restructuring in Chile, 1973-1989 , PhD thesis, University of Salford.

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Abstract

The thesis makes a contribution to a body of flourishing globalisation literature, which examines the role of transnational forces and processes in changes of domestic economic policy and the nature of regime, and which is associated with a broad array of approaches including neo-Gramscianism, the Amsterdam School of international relations, and with the works of Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri. It is contended that these approaches offer potent conceptual tools for understanding the changing nature of power in the contemporary world through drawing attention to its transnational sources. At the same time, however, they seriously underestimate the role of the nation-state and domestic coalitions of interests, thereby frequently providing highly deterministic explanations of changes in domestic economic policy and the nature of the regime, in developing countries in particular. The aim of the thesis is to search for a method that would allow for accounting for the role of transnational forces and processes in determinate social formations while avoiding viewing domestic politics as externally determined or shaped by isolated but transnationally-connected domestic actors. Significant attention is paid to the concept "internationalisation of the state" developed by Nicos Poulantzas and its relevance to understanding contemporary global processes is discussed. The thesis is illustrated by the case of Chile during the 1973-1989 military dictatorship, which seems to be the clearest justification of the argument that almost nothing stands In the way of the will of external forces (US imperialism or international financial organisations) or transnationally connected domestic actors (technocracy and the army) as they are even able to bring down a democratically elected government, persuade traditionally apolitical military to adopt an anticommunist approach, and transform a heavily politicised society into a consumerism-oriented one. If the role of specifically domestic forces is crucial for the understanding of Chilean politics, they will be also significant in other cases.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Schools:	Schools > School of Humanities, Languages & Social Sciences
Depositing User:	Institutional Repository
Date Deposited:	27 Jul 2021 14:12
Last Modified:	04 Aug 2022 11:23
URI:	https://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/61314

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