Canadian Journal of SoCiology/CahierS CanadienS de SoCiologie 33(1) 2008 1 Radical NeolibeRalism iN bRitish columbia: RemakiNg RuRal geogRaphies

Abstract. This paper argues that rural regions of British Columbia, Canada, are currently the subject of a radical political-economic experiment dismantling traditional Fordist and Keynesian approaches to economic development and re-placing them with neoliberal strategies. This experiment targets both corporate resource economies and local or community-based economies. The paper argues that current reforms aim to enhance flexibility in major resource sectors (particu-larly in forestry) by “liberating ” corporate actors from traditional obligations to environment, labour, and communities. This strategy is buttressed by concurrent reforms to community development policies to promote “entrepreneurial ” forms of development that (it is assumed) can be achieved independently of the domin-ant resource economy. Using field research from several case communities in coastal British Columbia, the paper argues that these developments are having a strong impact on traditional economic structures and practices, as neoliberal reforms seek to disaggregate corporate and community-level economies. Résumé. Cet article propose que les régions rurales de la Colombie Britannique