The Positivity Imperative in Youth Education as a Form of Cruel Optimism

Abstract

In this paper, we revisit the persistent positivity imperative in Finnish youth education by analysing findings from an on-going research project related to various educational interventions targeted at young people ‘at risk’. The article is focused on youth education as an emblematic manifestation of therapeutic ethos and neoliberalism. These manifestations are part of the emergence of the Nordic therapeutic welfare state where neoliberalisation and therapisation have formed alliances in aiming to produce resilient citizens while the relationship between the state and citizenship (as well as rights and obligations that citizenship carries) has changed. In terms of youth education, as a rationality of governing, the alliance between therapisation and neoliberalism results in the creation of suitably resilient, self-responsible, anxious, uncertain and inherently psycho- emotionally vulnerable young people.