Neoliberalism governs people by getting them to self-regulate toward economic ideals.

Evidence

Foucault’s concept of “technology of the self” refers to anything that helps people alter themselves to best fit an ideal, including therapy, plastic surgery, and self-help books. These technologies of the self intrinsically demonstrate how to be a proper modern person, be it one who is centered, thin, pretty, or productive. Since these ideals collude with the dominant political perspective, “technologies of the self” also function as a mode of governance, or governmentality. Rather than regulating people to fit into an ideal directly, technologies of subjectivity result in self-regulation. … Foucault argued that neoliberalism places homo economicus at the center of politics, promoting a model of people as rational, competitive, self-interested subjects rather than civic-minded citizens. This “subjectivity,” or way of thinking about the self, is furthered by media and discourse, and is achieved through technologies of the self. … People thus regulate and modify themselves along neoliberal principles to receive these benefits. — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update, 38

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines ‘technology of the self’ and ‘governmentality,’ core vocabulary for analyzing influencer culture as self-governance.
• XREF: This is the theoretical foundation that later chapters will apply to social media self-branding. — connects to: Neoliberalism extends market logic to regulate all human behavior. — Alice E. Marwick, Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity,…, 32; Neoliberalism’s ultimate ideal self is the autonomous self-made individual — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 430; Neoliberalism replaces natural self-interest with governed self-investment tied to macroeconomic growth. — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s…, 167 (+8 more)

Broader Connections

• Neoliberalism redefined human being itself as human capital. #expands (0.90) — Anna Kornbluh, Immediacy, or The Style of Too Late…, 134
• Neoliberalism is a governing rationality that frames all life in market terms #expands (0.88) — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 357
• Neoliberalism’s ultimate ideal self is the autonomous self-made individual #expands (0.85) — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 430
• Neoliberals conditioned self-government on accepting market discipline #expands (0.85) — Jessica Whyte, The Morals of the Market, 297
• Neoliberal freedom can be a vehicle for governance and domination #expands (0.82) — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 153
• Neoliberalism replaces natural self-interest with governed self-investment tied to macroeconomic growth. #qualifies (0.80) — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 167