University of Cambridge > Talks.cam > Critical Theory and Practice Seminar > Policing Neoliberalism in Egypt: The Rise of the 'Securocratic' State

Policing Neoliberalism in Egypt: The Rise of the 'Securocratic' State

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The rise of ‘securocratic’ states, especially under the hegemony of neoliberal capitalism, has been characterised not only by the increasing power of the security bureaucracy but also by the rise of a regime of governance and surveillance for managing society that relies on the participation of watchful citizens. The police force as an institution has been historically in the service of the ruling elite but it also occupies a contradictory position in the class structure of any society. Similar to all modern institutions, however, the police is not a monolithic body. Despite an outwardly uniform facade and its ability to maintain a unified character, the police force is an institution highly differentiated in terms of privilege. The talk will examine the rise of the ‘securocratic’ state in the context of Egypt and show how recent developments demonstrate the central role the police plays in reproducing capitalist relations and in supporting the efforts of the counter revolution to reduce political discourse to an inflated and simplistic concept of ‘security’ and the creation of an ‘emergency mentality’ in an attempt to undermine programmes for change.

Maha Abdelrahman is a Reader in Development Studies and Middle East Politics at the University of Cambridge. She is the author of Civil Society Exposed: The Politics of NGOs in Egypt and Egypt’s Long Revolution: Protests and Uprisings. She is currently researching labour issues in the Middle East.

This talk is part of the Critical Theory and Practice Seminar series.

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