Explaining Neoliberal Reforms in Neo-Patrimonial Systems : The Commercialization of Education and Healthcare in Saudi Arabia

The rise of neoliberal reforms of the provision of public services has been extensively researched in representative democracies. Less attention has been paid, instead, to explaining them in countries whose institutions have been characterized as neo-patrimonial systems. This study aims to explain the commercialization of education and healthcare services that took place in Saudi Arabia since the 2000s. Building on the frame ontology and frame knowledge of Bourdieu's sociological work, the analysis provides an account of the role of commercial practices in mitigating existing tensions in the education and healthcare fields and in creating novel sources of conflicts. The analysis provides some evidence for alternative explanations for neoliberal reforms of the provision of public services, and it indicates some ways to carry forward a research program that aims to enrich theoretical account of public sector reforms