The definition of neoliberalism has changed over time to include not just economic theories but also social principles. But what does it mean to lead life in a neoliberal society? Based on empirical research, Christina Scharff outlines 10 ways through which neoliberalism affects us emotionally

Scharff, Christina

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12/1/2015Life as an enterprise: Ten ways through which neoliberalismis experienced on an emotional levelblogs.lse.ac.uk /politicsandpolicy/the-psychic-life-of-neoliberalism/The definition of neoliberalism has changed over time to include not just economic theories but also socialprinciples. But what does it mean to lead life in a neoliberal society? Based on empirical research,Christina Scharff outlines 10 ways through which neoliberalism affects us emotionally.The term neoliberalism has been used in different ways, not only across time and space, but alsoin various academic disciplines. Marxist analyses have approached neoliberalism as a theory ofpolitical economic practices that promotes strong private property rights, free markets and freetrade. Yet debates in cultural studies and sociology have argued that neoliberalism affects sociallife more generally. According to this school of thought, neoliberal market principles extend beyondthe political and economic spheres by inciting individuals to conduct themselves in an entrepreneurial fashion.This sociological perspective on neoliberalism, and specifically the writings that are informed by the work of MichelFoucault, argues that neoliberalism calls upon individuals to live their lives as if it was an enterprise. This meansthat individual lives are guided by the principles of enterprise, which emphasise ambition, calculation, and personalresponsibility. Equally important, these enterprise principles apply to a range of spheres, such as education and ourworking lives.By living our lives as if it was an enterprise,certain behavioural traits become prominent,such as being proactive, rather than passive,self-reliant, accountable and responsible for ouractions. Individuals, who live in societies whereneoliberal perspectives are dominant, areencouraged to become autonomous and todemonstrate self-initiative, self-improvementand self-belief. As can be imagined from thesedebates, the ability to conduct one’s life as if itwas an enterprise is unevenly distributed andcuts across existing inequalities along the linesof gender, race and class. The resources to continuously self-invent, for example, tend to be more accessible tomembers of the middle-class.The incitement to live one’s life as if it was an enterprise, and the fact that this process takes place within existingpower dynamics, raises the following questions: What happens if individuals live their lives according to theprinciples of enterprise? More specifically, how is this ‘enterprise culture’ experienced on an emotional level? Recentpsychoanalytic work has shown that the call to live one’s life as if it was an enterprise leads to disavowals ofvulnerability and intensified forms of individualism. Equally, sociologists have highlighted similar themes around therepudiation of dependencies; the creation of an illusion of autonomy; and the emphasis on personal responsibility.More broadly, ‘feelings of insecurity, anxiety, stress and depression’ have been linked to societies where a neoliberaloutlook is widespread.The already existing research has made a range of important contributions, but is frequently theoretical inperspective, historical, or rests on textual readings. Although some of the psychoanalytic literature draws onvignettes from clinical work, there is little systematic empirical research on how neoliberalism is lived out emotionallyor, what I have called, ‘the psychic life of neoliberalism’.1/3My empirical study, which is based on over 60 in-depth interviews with individuals who lead their lives according toenterprise principles, attempted to address this gap in existing research. My research identified ten contours thatcharacterise the ways in which neoliberalism is lived out. According to these findings, individuals:Relate to themselves as if they were a business;Embrace risks like enterprises and consider knockbacks useful learning experiences;Present themselves as capable managers of difficulties and hide weaknesses;Are not exclusively guided by the principles of enterprise;But rarely discuss wider social structures, such as inequalities;Direct desires for change and feelings of anger away from the social sphere;Transform social critique into self-critique;Demonstrate feelings of self-doubt, insecurity and anxieties;Compete with themselves, and not just with others;Reject those who are not entrepreneurial by drawing strong boundaries between ‘lazy’ and ‘deserving’ people.My findings resonate with the existing research in several ways by, for example, showing that anxieties areprevalent. Yet my research reframes existing knowledge by suggesting that competition is increasingly self-directed.While this is not to say that competition with others no longer exists, it is to highlight that the self increasinglycompetes with itself – whether this relates to hours worked, exercise done or calories consumed. This is not only aninteresting observation, but also one that is meaningful sociologically as it suggests that ‘power’ or ‘ideology’ work ona ‘deeper’ level. If competition is mainly directed at the self, there is an absence of external standards, which mayrender competition potentially limitless.This new perspective expands our understanding of the different ways in which competition may manifest itself incontemporary societies. Crucially, my analysis has not shed light on all the possible ways in which neoliberalism mayaffect our emotional lives. Some aspects, such as consumption, are absent from my discussion and may needfurther investigation. I do, however, hope that my research represents the beginning of a larger, and empiricallyinformed, conversation about the psychic life of neoliberalism. ___About the AuthorChristina Scharff is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Culture, Media and CreativeIndustries, King’s College London. She is author of Repudiating Feminism: Young women in aneoliberal world (Ashgate) and, with Rosalind Gill, co-editor of New Femininities: postfeminism,neoliberalism and subjectivity (Palgrave Macmillan).  Please read our comments policy before posting.2/33/3

Life as an enterprise: Ten ways through which neoliberalism is experienced on an emotional level

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