This book explores the relationship between recent theoretical debates around the fate of critique of neoliberal capitalism and critical theory, on the one hand, and the critical theories generated in and by social movements in Chile, on the other. By taking the idea of social critique as a field that encompasses both critical social theories and the practices of social criticism carried out by social movements, Resisting Neoliberal Capitalism in Chile explores how the student and the Pobladores movements map, resist and contest neoliberal capitalism in commodified areas such as education and housing in Chile, one of the first 'neoliberal experiments' in Latin America and the world.
"Rodriguez adds to this literature by exploring how renewed critiques of capitalism, informed by Marxist thought and produced by social movements, advance our understanding of social conflict and emancipatory politics. The main contribution of Rodriguez's book is his effort to bring neo-Marxist thinking to the analysis of contemporary social movements." (Hector Rios-Jara, Contemporary Political Theory, Vol. 20 (3), September, 2021)
"This ambitious book is a welcome contribution to a sociology of social movements grounded in a reflexive dialogue between critical theory, social movement studies and empirical enquiry ... . it is promising that there are clear signs that researchers are returning to a much-needed sociology of social movements emerging from a reflexive dialogue between critical theories, social movement studies and empirical enquiry." (Malik Fercovic, LSE Review of Books, April 22, 2020)
"This ambitious book is a welcome contribution to a sociology of social movements grounded in a reflexive dialogue between critical theory, social movement studies and empirical enquiry ... . it is promising that there are clear signs that researchers are returning to a much-needed sociology of social movements emerging from a reflexive dialogue between critical theories, social movement studies and empirical enquiry." (Malik Fercovic, LSE Review of Books, April 22, 2020)