Splitting and blaming: the psychic life of neoliberal executive women

Darren T. Baker, Elisabeth K. Kelan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

48 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The aim of the article is to explore the psychic life of executive women under neoliberalism using psychosocial approaches. The article shows how, despite enduring unfair treatment and access to opportunities, many executive women remain emotionally invested in upholding the neoliberal ideal that if one perseveres, one shall be successful, regardless of gender. Drawing on psychosocial approaches, we explore how the accounts given by some executive women of repudiation, as denying gender inequality, and individualization, as subjects completely agentic, are underpinned by the unconscious, intertwined processes of splitting and blaming. Women sometimes split off undesirable aspects of the workplace, which repudiates gender inequality, or blame other women, which individualizes failure and responsibility for change. We explain that splitting and blaming enable some executive women to manage the anxiety evoked from threats to the neoliberal ideal of the workplace. This article thereby makes a contribution to existing postfeminist scholarship by integrating psychosocial approaches to the study of the psychic life of neoliberal executive women, by exploring why they appear unable to engage directly with and redress instances of gender discrimination in the workplace.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)69-97
Number of pages29
JournalHuman Relations
Volume72
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • blaming
  • individualization
  • neoliberalism
  • postfeminism
  • psychic life
  • psychosocial
  • repudiation
  • splitting

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