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Neoliberalism and Violence against Women: Can Retrenchment Convergence Explain the Path of Provincial Anti-Violence Policy, 1985–2005?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 March 2008

Cheryl N. Collier
Cheryl N. Collier
Affiliation:
Carleton University
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Abstract

Abstract. This article examines the impact of neoliberalism on provincial policies aimed at addressing the problem of violence against women during a period (1985–2005) when welfare state retrenchment convergence has been documented both provincially and in a variety of Western democracies, including in Canada. Using measurements of both aggregate government expenditures and qualitative evaluations of anti-violence policy progression during this time frame, my analysis questions the existence of welfare state convergence in both Ontario and British Columbia. Instead, it demonstrates evidence of pronounced anti-violence policy divergence in both cases, which is better explained by a partisan theory of public policy framework.

Résumé. Cet article examine l'incidence du néolibéralisme sur les politiques provinciales visant à enrayer le problème de la violence faite aux femmes au cours de la période 1985–2005. Cette période coïncide avec la remise en question de l'État providence, phénomène largement documenté à l'échelle provinciale comme dans diverses démocraties occidentales, incluant le Canada. En mesurant les dépenses publiques d'agrégat ainsi que les évaluations qualitatives de l'évolution des politiques contre la violence durant cette période, mon analyse remet en question l'existence d'une convergence dans l'évolution de l'État providence en Ontario et en Colombie-Britannique. En fait, elle démontre plutôt l'évidence d'une divergence prononcée de politiques dans les deux cas, qui peut être mieux expliquée par une théorie “partisane” des politiques publiques.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 41 , Issue 1 , March 2008 , pp. 19 - 42
Copyright
© 2008 Canadian Political Science Association

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