This Palgrave Pivot presents a series of political economy short stories of collective agency
weaving together the history of a progressive change with a discussion of the role of
institutions to effect change. These stories highlight sustained activism around valuing caring
ending discrimination protecting the environment improving worker well-being and reimagining
ways to encourage local economic development by restoring public-private social balance.
Ultimately these stories demonstrate that challenges to the neoliberal economy are possible.
Neoliberalism can be viewed as a value structure that is undermining sustainable human
development by elevating the level of risk experienced in daily economic life. Its hallmarks
are globalization market liberalization deregulation financialization cutbacks in social
provisioning through the public sector and restructuring of labor markets in ways that
increase instability. Social movements have responded agitating for change. The stories here
provide examples of how social actors engage in collective behavior to advance the objectives
of economic justice democratic participation in economic life and human development.
