Neoliberalism and the universal human right to health. Tracing the Soviet right to health or the Soviet Neoliberalism in present day Azerbaijan

Mail Zada, Zuleykha (2018) Neoliberalism and the universal human right to health. Tracing the Soviet right to health or the Soviet Neoliberalism in present day Azerbaijan. MPhil(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

The thesis examines a largely neglected historical aspect of the post-Soviet advancement of the human right to health (hereafter HRtH) in former peripheral states of the USSR, exploring the extent to which the advancement of the HRtH in contemporary and neoliberal Azerbaijan continues to be impacted by Soviet experiences of this right. By historically comparing continuities of advancement of the universal HRtH in Azerbaijan, this dissertation also contributes to the emerging research exploring a Soviet form of neoliberalism in post-Soviet spaces. The comparison is led by Aihwa Ong’s notion of neoliberalism as a mobile technology of governing that advances technocratic and apolitical modes of governance. The thesis compares data from two periods in Azerbaijan: as a member of the USSR between 1960-1970, and post-independence, 1995-2011, to explore the selectivity of, and resistance to, historically contested global forms of HRtH rationalities in changing local milieus in Azerbaijan. Drawing on archival materials alongside thematic findings from semi-structured interviews and a focus group discussion, the research pays particular attention to the motives that inform how and why the current regime selects certain components of Soviet rationalities of the HRtH in Azerbaijan. It argues that the conceptualisation of a Soviet neoliberalism should also consider the legacies of Soviet authoritarianism experienced by the semi-peripheral Soviet republics, that continue to project top-down hierarchical decision-making as was demonstrated in relation to Azerbaijan’s commitment to the realization of the universal HRtH for all. The analysis of both historical eras points to a healthcare crisis that has been appropriated by the local regime to further consolidate its power. Particular to the right to health, a collective notion of this right has been appropriated to avoid any socially and politically informed risks to the regime, as was demonstrated in the Soviet Union in the 1960s, and similarly in Azerbaijan towards 2010.

• Item Type: Thesis (MPhil(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Keywords: neoliberalism, Soviet, post-Soviet, semi-periphery, human right to health, Azerbaijan, post-soviet authoritarianism.
• Subjects: D History General and Old World > DK Russia. Soviet Union. Former Soviet Republics; H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General); H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform; H Social Sciences > HX Socialism. Communism. Anarchism; J Political Science > JA Political science (General); J Political Science > JX International law; J Political Science > JZ International relations
• Colleges/Schools: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Central and East European Studies
• Supervisor's Name: Kollman, Dr. Kelly and Turbine, Dr. Vikki
• Date of Award: 2018
• Embargo Date: 31 October 2028
• Depositing User: Ms Zuleykha Mail Zada
• Unique ID: glathesis:2018-30979
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 31 Oct 2018 16:28
• Last Modified: 17 Nov 2023 09:04
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/30979