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The Rise of the Rentier Class and Widening Social Inequalities

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Rentier Capitalism and Its Discontents

Abstract

This chapter discusses two key aspects of neoliberalism: rentierism and economic inequalities. The first part of the chapter provides some details of the different forms of rent in Central Asia, and the assets of the richest individuals in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan that facilitated rent extraction. Business elites often merged with political elites to create plutocracy. The second part examines the nature of income and wealth inequalities in the region. It also explores the hardship and misery associated with the commodification of basic goods and services.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Kent, Canterbury, UK

    Balihar Sanghera

  2. University of Kent, Canterbury, UK

    Elmira Satybaldieva

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  1. Balihar Sanghera
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  2. Elmira Satybaldieva
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Correspondence to Balihar Sanghera .

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Sanghera, B., Satybaldieva, E. (2021). The Rise of the Rentier Class and Widening Social Inequalities. In: Rentier Capitalism and Its Discontents. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76303-9_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76303-9_2

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-76302-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-76303-9

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