ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the spatial and temporal logics of neoliberalism, and the ways in which this has underpinned much of the economic, social and cultural transformation witnessed across the ‘global countryside’. Central to this has been the neoliberal focus on market-led approaches to policy and planning arenas that had previously received a high degree of government support. Indeed, the shift from state-led to market-oriented approaches to, inter alia, service delivery, infrastructure provision and economic development have ultimately affected almost all areas of rural life. Yet, while the general discourse of neoliberalism is evident across much of the world, this paper points out that the ways in which it has been interpreted and implemented vary enormously across spatial contexts and scales. Moreover, the chapter argues that, as a political ‘project’, neoliberalism has proven to be dynamic and adaptive, and is routinely being reinterpreted and recast in the face of changing economic, political and socio-cultural circumstances.
