Contemporary privatization remakes nature-society as property and transforms people’s relationships to themselves, each other, and the natural world. This groundbreaking collection provides the first systematic analysis of neo-liberal privatization. Rich case studies of privatization in the making reveal both the pivotal role that privatization plays in neoliberalism and new opportunities for challenging neo-liberal hegemony.

• Rich case studies linked to broader questions on neoliberalism
• Illustrates the importance of property relation and the complexities existing in the meaning and practice of property
• Extends current geographical scholarship on neoliberalism –including neoliberalism and nature
• Each essay touches on the disciplinary, regulatory dimensions of privatization
• Highlights the importance of privatization, both broadly and specifically

Becky Mansfield is an Associate Professor of Geography at Ohio State University. She has published widely on the political and cultural economy of nature, with a particular focus on neo-liberalization of natural resources and the role of nature in economic processes. Mansfield is currently researching the making of bodies of scientific knowledge regarding the environmental effects of agro-food production.