"GO OUT THERE AND ADVANCE": Neoliberal Agency in Feminism

Abstract

For several decades, feminism has evolved as a part of changing societies. Correspondingly, changes in feminism have been reflected on societal systems. According to several scholars and commentators, the neoliberal shifts of the past fifty years have co-opted the mainstream feminism and resulted in what they call neoliberal feminism. In consequence, the new rationale demands individuals to alter themselves to suit market principles, overshadowing societal issues of equality. This study investigates such developments of feminism. It analyzes the self-reliant political agency of self-identified feminists operating in the Finnish context, focusing on the apparently neoliberalistic practice of self leadership. The research is conducted with the help of Grounded Theory method which underscores the collaboration of empirical data, rigorous coding, and theorization. As a methodology, the GT method was used as a frame within which data was coded and analyzed. As the empirical data, this study analyzes seven semi-structured in-depth interviews which amounted to approximately 330 minutes in total. The questionnaire consisted of questions on feminism, self leadership, and the overall experiences and understandings which may or may not resonate with neoliberal views. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the Atlas.ti coding software. In addition, literature reviews on development of feminisms and self leadership were conducted to add rigor to the theorization. The findings of this research revealed four core categories that emerged from the narratives of the feminists. The categories were "self-observation", "internal boundaries", "success and leadership", and "emerging soft values". Upon the analysis, these categories disclosed the participants' approaches to the values and practices that critics have identified as neoliberal. As a result, the study suggests that feminism in the Finnish context has attained neoliberal elements. The participants were highly self-conscious and used self leadership strategies to battle various biases. Encouragement of others and of self were regarded a useful tool in increasing balance and equality. Yet to argue that feminism has become neoliberalized is unjustified. Despite their internal efforts, the participants did not demonstrate disregard of structural issues. On the contrary, they demanded equal opportunities intersectionally and found participation to capitalism an insufficient measure of equality. The results of this study describe the development of feminisms and contests the notion that individualistic elements have neoliberalized feminism. In future research, larger samples can enrich the outcomes and result in more generalizable knowledge.