7 - Governing enterprising individuals

Summary

In the summer of 1989, an advertisement began to appear regularly on the front page of one of Britain's leading serious newspapers. It was for a private organization called Self-Helpline and offered a range of telephone numbers for people to ring for answers to some apparently troubling questions. There were “Emotional Problems” from “Dealing with infidelity” to “Overcoming shyness.” There were “Parenthood Problems” from “My child won't sleep” to “I feel like hitting my baby.” There were “Work Problems” such as “Am I in the right job” or “Becoming a supervisor.” And there were “Sexual Problems” from “Impotence” to “Better orgasms.” For the cost of a telephone call, callers could obtain “self-help step by step answers to dealing with your problems and improving the quality of your life.” They were assured that “all messages are provided by our professionals qualified in medicine, counseling and business.” And, the calls could be made anonymously, without the fear of being traced: it appeared that the problem, and its solution, was entirely a matter for one's self (Self-Helpline, 1989).

In the context of the major cultural shifts taking place in Britain and many other countries in the 1980s, the rise to political power of governments adopting the rationalities of the ‘new right’ and espousing the logics of neoliberalism in their reforms of macroeconomic policy, organizational culture, social welfare, and the responsibilities of citizens, this little advertisement may seem trivial.