Smitha Radhakrishnan is Marion Butler McLean Professor of the History of Ideas and Professor of Sociology at Wellesley College.Cinzia D. Solari is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Winner of the ASA Section on the Political Economy of the World-System’s Immanuel Wallerstein Memorial Book Award 2024Honorable Mention from the ASA Section on the Sociology of Sex and Gender’s Distinguished Book Award 2025Honorable Mention from the ASA Section on Marxist Sociology’s Paul Sweezy Outstanding Book Award 2025“This perceptive book shows that offloading state responsibility onto individuals and families reinforces both the cover story of neoliberal feminism (i.e. making women free to choose, as long as they choose to continue providing unpaid social reproductive labor) and of the manly protector as both bulwark and, occasionally, threat to the neoliberal order.” Quinn Slobodian, Wellesley College and author of Globalists: The End of Empire and the Birth of Neoliberalism“This is a fascinating book! It offers an original and thought-provoking definition of the neoliberal gender order. This great author pairing provides expertise on a fantastic combination of cases, not usually placed in conversation with each other, to create one persuasive and engaging argument.” Sarah Ashwin, London School of Economics and Political Science, and author of Gender, State and Society in Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia“Ambitious [and] essential … The book provides a compelling study of neoliberalism’s approach to gender and the impact of market-driven policies on collective efforts for women’s rights.”Sociological Inquiry

• 1. Introduction: A Multicentric World Order2. Neoliberalism’s Pre-histories3. Investing in “Empowered” Women4. Neoliberalism’s Gendered Architecture5. Moving Towards Modernity6. Manly Protectors7. Conclusion: A Fairer Multipolar Future

Smitha Radhakrishnan is Marion Butler McLean Professor of the History of Ideas and Professor of Sociology at Wellesley College.Cinzia D. Solari is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Winner of the ASA Section on the Political Economy of the World-System’s Immanuel Wallerstein Memorial Book Award 2024Honorable Mention from the ASA Section on the Sociology of Sex and Gender’s Distinguished Book Award 2025Honorable Mention from the ASA Section on Marxist Sociology’s Paul Sweezy Outstanding Book Award 2025“This perceptive book shows that offloading state responsibility onto individuals and families reinforces both the cover story of neoliberal feminism (i.e. making women free to choose, as long as they choose to continue providing unpaid social reproductive labor) and of the manly protector as both bulwark and, occasionally, threat to the neoliberal order.” Quinn Slobodian, Wellesley College and author of Globalists: The End of Empire and the Birth of Neoliberalism“This is a fascinating book! It offers an original and thought-provoking definition of the neoliberal gender order. This great author pairing provides expertise on a fantastic combination of cases, not usually placed in conversation with each other, to create one persuasive and engaging argument.” Sarah Ashwin, London School of Economics and Political Science, and author of Gender, State and Society in Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia“Ambitious [and] essential … The book provides a compelling study of neoliberalism’s approach to gender and the impact of market-driven policies on collective efforts for women’s rights.”Sociological Inquiry

• 1. Introduction: A Multicentric World Order2. Neoliberalism’s Pre-histories3. Investing in “Empowered” Women4. Neoliberalism’s Gendered Architecture5. Moving Towards Modernity6. Manly Protectors7. Conclusion: A Fairer Multipolar Future

Smitha Radhakrishnan is Marion Butler McLean Professor of the History of Ideas and Professor of Sociology at Wellesley College.Cinzia D. Solari is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Winner of the ASA Section on the Political Economy of the World-System’s Immanuel Wallerstein Memorial Book Award 2024Honorable Mention from the ASA Section on the Sociology of Sex and Gender’s Distinguished Book Award 2025Honorable Mention from the ASA Section on Marxist Sociology’s Paul Sweezy Outstanding Book Award 2025“This perceptive book shows that offloading state responsibility onto individuals and families reinforces both the cover story of neoliberal feminism (i.e. making women free to choose, as long as they choose to continue providing unpaid social reproductive labor) and of the manly protector as both bulwark and, occasionally, threat to the neoliberal order.” Quinn Slobodian, Wellesley College and author of Globalists: The End of Empire and the Birth of Neoliberalism“This is a fascinating book! It offers an original and thought-provoking definition of the neoliberal gender order. This great author pairing provides expertise on a fantastic combination of cases, not usually placed in conversation with each other, to create one persuasive and engaging argument.” Sarah Ashwin, London School of Economics and Political Science, and author of Gender, State and Society in Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia“Ambitious [and] essential … The book provides a compelling study of neoliberalism’s approach to gender and the impact of market-driven policies on collective efforts for women’s rights.”Sociological Inquiry

• 1. Introduction: A Multicentric World Order2. Neoliberalism’s Pre-histories3. Investing in “Empowered” Women4. Neoliberalism’s Gendered Architecture5. Moving Towards Modernity6. Manly Protectors7. Conclusion: A Fairer Multipolar Future