Neoliberal Subjectivity and Gendered Inequalities

Abstract

This chapter traces the notion of neoliberal subjectivity from a conceptual and empirical perspective. It explores to what extent neoliberal discourses transform how young people understand themselves. The conceptual part juxtaposes the two often referred approaches to subjectivity by Beck and Beck-Gernsheim and by Foucault. Drawing on two empirical studies on the life plans of young adults in Switzerland, the chapter then fleshes out how neoliberal subjectivity manifests in young people’s understandings of themselves. The final section relates the findings to studies from other contexts and discusses the consequences of this selfconcept of young adults. Using gender as the primary analytical category, the chapter illustrates how neoliberal subjectivity individualizes responsibility and thereby privatizes persisting inequalities.