Abstract

How do we provide effective public services in a deeply neoliberal world? In the wake of the widespread failure of privatisation efforts, societies in the global south are increasingly seeking progressive ways of recreating the public sector. With contributors ranging from cutting-edge scholars to activists working in health, water, and energy provision, and with case studies covering a broad spectrum of localities and actors, Making Public in a Privatized World uncovers the radically different ways in which public services are being reshaped from the grassroots up.

From communities holding the state accountable for public health in rural Guatemala, to waste pickers in India and decentralized solar electricity initiatives in Africa, the essays in this collection offer probing insights into the complex ways in which people are building genuine alternatives to privatization, while also illustrating the challenges which communities face in creating public services which are not subordinated to the logic of the market, or to the monolithic state entities of the past.

'An excellent and timely book that is a welcome contribution to the growing debate about alternatives to neoliberalism and privatization in critical public services.'
Andrew Cumbers, University of Glasgow

‘A remarkable collection of work and an urgently needed intervention into struggles over public services. It deserves to be read by those depressed by the rolling tide of privatization and by those struggling to find better ways of serving publics.’
John Clarke, The Open University

‘This superb collection explores convincingly why public services should indeed be delivered by the public and not by private companies. The contributions offer an extraordinarily insightful foray into the contours of and possibilities for inclusive and democratic public service delivery, both within and outside of the state.’
Erik Swyngedouw, University of Manchester