Governmentality, Public Policy and Self-Management

This paper explores the incidence and consequence of public policies in the United Kingdom through the conceptual lens of governmentality (Foucault, 1977). This paper focuses on England and considers the implications of the shift of the inter-relationship between the State, and social care. In many ways, public policy provides three pathways for vulnerable adults. First, as independent self-managing consumers with private means and resources; Second, as people in need of some support to enable them to continue to self manage; Third, as dependent and unable to commit to self-management. Governmentality that derives from the work of Michel Foucault provides an innovative analytical framework through which to view public policy and practice that is largely governed by discourses of personalisation, safeguarding, capability and risk.