The Promise of Patronage: Adapting and Adopting Neoliberal Development Academic Article

abstract

• Abstract: Much of the literature on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and development suggests that a topdown process is underway which leads to the dispersal of neoliberal ideals. Drawing on 2 years of ethnographic research in Rajasthan, India, this paper examines how a poverty alleviation project fits into competitiveandcooperative socioeconomic relations already operating on the ground. It argues that in contradiction to neoliberal notions of empowerment espoused by project policies, both NGOs and their constituents have an interest in establishing and maintaining patronage networks that stabilize relationships of dependency. The paper concludes that neoliberal development projects serve to enable patronclient relationships between NGOs and villagers, and enroll the state in the continuing provision of benefits beyond those planned by the project.

authors

• O'Reilly, Kathleen

published proceedings

• ANTIPODE

author list (cited authors)

• O'Reilly, K.

citation count

• 30

publication date

• January 2010

publisher

• Wiley  Publisher

keywords

• Client
• Development
• Empowerment
• Neoliberalism
• Ngos
• Patron

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1111/j.1467-8330.2009.00736.x

start page

• 179

end page

• 200

volume

• 42

issue

• 1

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8330.2009.00736.x

user-defined tag

• 1 No Poverty