Since the 1990s, around 43 words have been introduced to the Arab dictionary to form what is called the neoliberal lexicon: concepts and ideas that are central to the working and reproduction of global capitalism.

How did these ideas travel to be found virtually everywhere? what is the infrastructure of their spread? Theories of cultural imperialism or policy diffusions, and others fall short in explaining the full story of the spread of these ideas. This talk will address these questions by shedding light on the importance of cities in the spread of the neoliberal culture in the Arab world.

Speaker

Dr Mayssoun Sukarieh is a Reader in the Anthropology of Development in the Department of International Development at King's College London. Her recent works include: A global Idea: Youth City Networks, and the Struggle for the Arab World.