Neoliberalism in Action: Social Policies and Organizational Experiences in Argentina (2009-2016)

Abstract

Neoliberalism is a confusing process of socio-spatial transformation, which is neither a ‘top-down’ nor a ‘bottom-up’ phenomenon. It is a discourse where the structural and agency dimensions merge. The aim of this paper is to analyze a social policy implemented in Argentina since 2009: the Programa Ingreso Social con Trabajo (PRIST). This allows us to understand how neoliberal discourse operates in terms of its effects as well as in the transformations regarding the agency of social actors. Following a qualitative perspective, the hypothesis is that even within the neoliberal discourse, PRIST constituted an opportunity for the recognition of informal workers and its organizations by allowing them to reposition themselves as their representatives. Thus, neoliberalism crosses the different areas without crushing the proactive capacity of social actors. The new organizational experiences tell us about how the links between neoliberalism, politics and citizenship are built.