Citation

Chin CBN. Third World Q. 2000; 21(6): 1035-1057.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article asserts that, instead of anticipating or searching for indications of the 'end of the state' in an era of neoliberal globalization, it is more fruitful to examine the relationship between the state and social order, because of the potential to discern the conditions and consequences in which occur the ruling elite's and social forces' resistance to and/or alliance with, transnational capital. A case study of Malaysia is presented to demonstrate the complex and even contradictory ways in which social order is regulated that allows the state to manage demands emanating within and beyond the country. Specifically, the analysis focuses on the different historical junctures in which changing bases of state power, paths of development, and official manipulation of social identities converge in the regulation of social order that facilitates capital accumulation while maintaining state legitimacy in a multi-ethnic context.