Neoliberalism and Neoliberalization: Helpful Devices for the Analysis of Urban Development in the Middle East and North Africa Susanne Heeg MENA Variegated Neoliberalism Urban Development Neoliberalization Neoliberalism is a widely used in social+nbsp;science to refer to processes such as+nbsp;privatization, deregulation, commodification, and austerity. Quite often in this+nbsp;interpretative framework, neoliberalism+nbsp;is also associated with the dismantling of+nbsp;the welfare state, the opening up of free+nbsp;trade and investment, and an increased+nbsp;emphasis on the private sector. In the academic discussion, various authors criticize+nbsp;the use of the term because it lacks analytical clarity and/or is used as a political+nbsp;slogan to denounce social and economic+nbsp;change. The aim of the article is neither to+nbsp;question the analytical dimension nor to+nbsp;develop an irrefutable definition, but to+nbsp;provide insight into the strength of a+nbsp;place- and time-sensitive discussion of+nbsp;neoliberalism. Philipps-Universität Marburg Marburg Deutschhausstraße 9, 35037 Marburg 2019 2019-06-25 2019-07-10 Text article urn:nbn:de:hebis:04-0003-2019-230-78341 eng 2714728-9 12 1 https://journals.uni-marburg.de/0003/article/download/7834/7881 10.17192/meta.2019.12.7834 https://journals.uni-marburg.de/0003/2019/230/7834 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0