Nudging into subjectification: Governmentality and psychometrics

The current age of ‘austerity’ is associated with neoliberal ideology. Neoliberalism can be understood as a form of governmentality – a way of reconfiguring selves and the social order in accord with the demands of market economies. A recent UK policy initiative by the Coalition government’s Behavio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Critical social policy 2014-05, Vol.34 (2), p.241-259
Main Authors: Cromby, John, Willis, Martin E.H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acceptances
Accords
Austerity policy
Benefits
Bioethics
Coalitions
Government coalitions
Governmentality
Ideologies
Ideology
Internet
Market Economy
Markets
Neoliberalism
Psychology
Social Order
Social policy
Subjectivity
Teams
Testing
United Kingdom
Welfare
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Summary:The current age of ‘austerity’ is associated with neoliberal ideology. Neoliberalism can be understood as a form of governmentality – a way of reconfiguring selves and the social order in accord with the demands of market economies. A recent UK policy initiative by the Coalition government’s Behavioural Insights Team required benefit claimants to submit to online psychometric testing. We examine this policy in some detail, arguing that this use of psychometric testing is flawed, unethical, and unlikely to help claimants to find work. Our analysis of the test procedure and its results suggests that the policy functions primarily as a means whereby benefit claimants can be ‘nudged’ towards acceptance of the precepts of neoliberal subjectivities.
ISSN:0261-0183
1461-703X
DOI:10.1177/0261018313500868