Week 4 Entrepreneurial Self Flashcards
(18 cards)
What is the ‘Entrepreneurial Self’? + 2 reference.
- ‘The central model of subjectivity that neoliberal discourses promote is an entrepreneur of the self (Foucault 2010).
- Entrepreneurial Self’ - an individual who ostensibly applies economic cost benefit analysis to all spheres of life aiming to maximise human capital in expectation of future profits’ (Musilek et al. 2020).
What is the UK example of Government and ‘Entrepreneurial Selves’?
Thatcher (and continued by New Labour) – promotion of ‘enterprise culture’ – seen as solution to perceived social ills.
- Diminishing of welfare support = to promote self reliance’ and “entrepreneurial spirit”.
- Government’s role - to instil entrepreneurial mentality in citizens (e.g. through educational institutions or social services).
How does Neoliberalism relate to power and our “selves”?
Neoliberalism - the dominant paradigm of thinking about how economies, societies, and individuals are increasingly governed by markets rather than the state (power).
Entrepreneur of the self - We should skill up through training, education, etc to move up in the world in terms of societal position and personally.
What is Foucaults perception on the “self” as imagined by Neoliberalism? + reference, and a contradiction
“… the stake in all neoliberal analyses is the replacement every time of homo economicus and entrepreneur of himself (Based on Gary Beckers ‘utility maximising agent’), to act in his own self interests and maximise utility rationally; being for himself his own capital, being for himself his own producer, being for himself the source of [his] earnings”. (Foucault 2008).
However, Christaens (2019) argues that this neglects the non calculative, more audacious side to neoliberal subjectivity, including creative workers
What are the Practical criticisms of ‘Entrepreneurial Self’ + reference?
The “enterprising” policies and incentives often fail to deliver:
- Self-employed and entrepreneurs - on average worse off than employees in pay and pensions (Fleming 2015).
- The dream of “entrepreneurship” leads workers to accept exploitative, unfair conditions (Harvey 2017).
How does Neoliberalism correlate with Human Capital Theory? + reference.
Capital = Value invested with the goal of producing more capital.
‘Human capital’ = resources that are ‘imbedded in people’ and that can ‘influence future real income’ (Becker 1962).
- View of human beings as agents who seek to “invest in themselves” in order to maximise their future income = returns on their human capital.
How does unemployment correlate with ‘Entrepreneurial Selves’? + reference.
- Increase human capital = increased employability.
- “Jobseekers” encouraged to ‘entrepreneurially sell themselves’ (Boland 2016).
Master skills of searching, applying, self-examining, self-presenting, interviewing, CV-writing, networking, etc.
How does the lens of ‘Economic Imperialism’ understand human behaviour? + reference
- Through this lens, all human activity can be understood as economic behaviour that increases (or decreases) human capital.
- ‘The premise of human capital implies simply that knowledge and abilities, health, outward appearance, social prestige, work ethics, and personal habits are to be regarded as scarce resources requiring investment in order to be developed, maintained, and increased’
(Brockling 2016).
How can Employees see themselves as ‘Entrepreneurial Selves’ + 3 references?
Employees - not as people with duties (work) and demands (pay, security), but rather as entrepreneurial selves in search of self-realisation (Rose, 1999) – demands of self-presentation, self- direction, and self-management.
- No security through employment for life – rather – developing of ‘human capital’ through work– experience with different projects (Boltanski and Chiapello, 2006)
- The self that is ‘constantly learning new skills, changing his or her “knowledge basis”’ (Sennett, 2006).
How can students see themselves as ‘Entrepreneurial Selves’ + reference?
- Students are asked to invest into their ‘human capital’ through paying for education and incurring debt, with the hope of future returns (better employment).
- Students at all education levels increasingly encouraged to adopt “entrepreneurial mindset” (Berglund 2013).
What are the Psychological criticisms of ‘Entrepreneurial Self’? + reference of a study.
Scharf (2016) – study of female, early career, classically- trained musicians
- Thought about themselves as business.
- Constantly active and still lacking time.
- Hiding injuries –Anxiety and insecurity.
- Competition with others and with oneself.
- Little empathy for the hardship of others.
What does Foucault say about our “selves” and power? + reference
Key: Foucault doesn’t think the “self” is what you want to be. It is just a point he made and recognises the concept of “self”. Doesn’t necessarily agree with it.
“My objective…has been to create a history of the different modes by which, in our culture, human beings are made subjects”. (selves are shaped by various forms of power and constructed by institutions such as education).
“Maybe the target nowadays is not to discover what we are but refuse what we are”. (Rather than focusing on working out who we are, we should challenge the identities that are given to us and limit us (e.g. student, worker).
(Foucault 2002).
What are the ‘TECHNOLOGIES’ of POWER (and institutions)?
Technologies are the various “means of training” that shape our self-conception and behaviour.
- Links to the 4th Critical Account of Power (Foucault) - Power of the system (power of different technologies and institutions to shape us to do one thing or another but not predetermined like much of religious beliefs).
E.g. School, University.
What are the ‘TECHNOLOGIES’ of our SELF?
- The various discourses and use of various “tools” to shape ourselves.
E.g. Religious and philosophical techniques, books, apps, devices (e.g. smart watches to track our ‘self’).
What is the tension between our “selves” and society? + central proposition of sociology?
There are tensions between:
‘Recognising the self as unique and autonomous’ (I decide what I will do, what I like, who I am).
vs.
‘Realisation that self is conditioned by its surroundings’.
- Central proposition of sociology (and many other social sciences) that self is at least in part constituted by societal influences.
What is the discourse (debate) between our “selves” and Power + (what dimension of power + theorist)?
Debate over what is a good or legitimate subject, according to this or that type of knowledge?
E.g. What is sane/insane?
- Law abiding citizen/criminal?
- Productive worker/unemployed?
- Link to 4th Dimension of Power (Foucault) - Power of the system (power of different technologies and institutions to shape us to do one thing or another but not predetermined like much of religious beliefs).
What are the criticisms theoretically of ‘Entrepreneurial Self’? + reference.
- “Freedom?” to make decisions of ourselves?
- BUT also are we actually free or controlled by institutions, controls, demands, etc? (Read 2009).
- Strategies, tactics, and policies to make use “free” in a particular way (Read 2009).
2 Dictionary Definitions of ‘Self’ + references?
‘An individual’s sense of their own being’ (Open Education Dictionary Sociology).
‘The mental construct of a person, by that person’ (Sage Dictionary of Sociology).
