Reversing Hierarchies in Charities Under Neoliberalism

<p class="ql-align-justify">Studies on charities that emerged under neoliberalism have argued that unequal relations between providers and recipients of charity reinforce the inner workings of neoliberal logic that emphasize self-reliance, economic rationalism, and individualism. This study examines the dynamic nature of charities by highlighting the service recipients’ agency in the interaction between service providers and recipients in an urban setting using a case study of civic activities in Sydney, Australia. It particularly focuses on the blurring of existing power positions in the activities of mutual help and mutual trust. This type of relationship is referred to as “communism,” wherein service recipients are not necessarily required to return something equivalent to what they receive. Furthermore, it explores how the solidarity of service providers and recipients formed in “communism” served to contest neoliberal surveillance and logic. This study demonstrates that the continuance of service routines under any circumstance provides service providers and recipients with a temporary sense of ontological security in neoliberal urban spaces.</p>