NEOLIBERALISM, DEMOCRATIC EROSION AND THE GLOBAL STRUGGLE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE

248pp., paperback, African Minds, Cape Town, 2026

ISBN: 9780639891330

The essays in this collection explore the growing tension between market-driven economic systems and democratic governance, arguing that neoliberalism and authoritarianism constitute a dual threat to democratic participation. The volume emerged from a symposium held to honour the appointment of Ole Johnny Olsen to Emeritus Professor at the University of Bergen, Norway.

Contributions include:

'The Political Economy of Authoritarian Populism in the Global South" by Alf Gunvald Nilsen

"Protest as Parrhesia: Problems of Democracy in South Africa’s Student Protests" by John Higgins

"From Globalisation to Glocalisation: The Impact of Neoliberalism on Metropolitan Governance in the Global South" by Chris Tapscott

"The Sustainable Development Goals and the Eco-social Development Model: A Challenge to the Neoliberal World?" by Tor Halvorsen.

Chris Tapscott is Emeritus Professor at the University of the Western Cape, where he was founding director of the School of Government and served as Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.

Tor Halvorsen is Associate Professor at the University of Bergen and Extraordinary Professor at the University of the Western Cape.