The cultivation of subjectivity of young people in youth support systems

Abstract

In recent years Finland has witnessed a substantial amount of public debate and concern about vulnerability, wellbeing, mental-health problems and anxiety among young people from various backgrounds. In accordance with the ethos of vulnerability and neoliberalism, people are supposed to become employable, resilient and entrepreneurial, choosing education based on their expected individual needs and what they wish eventually to achieve in life. The focus in this article is on the ethos of vulnerability, and particularly on the cultivation of a vulnerable subjectivity through therapeutically and psychologically oriented knowledge in the neoliberal politics. It is based on individually and jointly produced data from various youth support systems in Finland, and on discussions with young people considered to be vulnerable or 'at risk' who are involved in these systems. We argue that both the therapeutic culture and neoliberal politics legitimise and accelerate cultivation of vulnerability while dismissing social expectations and pressure targeted on young people. Vulnerable subjectivity is strengthened by various types of specialists who claim that the self can achieve a better and more satisfying life through the application of psychologically and therapeutically engineered knowledge and professional skills.

Educating for the future? Mapping the emerging lines of precision education governance

“…Consequently, it claims to have a powerful ability to translate and disseminate concepts such as wellbeing, teaching, education and citizenship into measurable and calculatable indicators (Sellar and Lingard, 2013;Williamson and Piattoeva, 2019). Similar governing mechanisms can be found in the EU's governance of educationmost of the EU's education policy relies on recommendations and dissemination of 'best practices' (Brunila et al, 2020;Cone and Brøgger, 2020;Mertanen et al, 2020b, forthcoming). However, this 'soft' regulation is not 'overriding' or negating education's regulation as sovereign nation-states responsibility.…”

“…The future-making of education promising this realisation of individuals' potential can be characterised as precision education (Hart, 2016;Kuhl et al, 2019). Precision education is a rapidly emerging form of education, one in which education equals more efficient individually tailored and personalised behavioural management, optimisation, teaching and learning (Brunila et al, 2020;Saari, 2021;Saltman, 2020;Williamson, 2019). By promising evidence-based, scientific, tailored and individualised learning, precision education can be seen as a universal solution to the perceived detriments and problems of 'traditional' schooling and education (Ideland et al, 2020;Williamson, 2019).…”

“…This control of the future-proof subject in education results from knowledge produced on digital platforms, combined with data from behavioural and life sciences focusing on an individual's behaviour. This brings knowledge from fields such as neurology, psychiatry, behavioural modification and genetics to the centre of PEG (see Brunila et al, 2020;Cabanas and Illouz, 2019;McGimpsey, 2018). In the governance based on psychodata, the ideal learning subjectivity is not merely an economically constructed, rational and self-serving independent actor.…”

Racialised Integration: Arabic-Speaking Refugees and Immigrants’ Experiences on the Paradoxes of Integration

“…Involving psychologists in integration guidance is related to Finland's vocational and career guidance system, established based on psychology (Toni & Vuorinen 2020). Psychological guidance is part of the Government's Lifelong Guidance Strategy that aims to assist transitions to work life through career planning, vocational guidance, identifying competences, providing advice and other support (MEAE 2020a; see also Brunila et al 2020). Such guidance, however, has multiple shortcomings.…”

Becoming integrateable: hidden realities of integration policies and training in Finland

“…Integration policies and training for refugees and immigrants have been developed according to inclusive measures through numerous vocational programmes, innovative projects and other shortterm support systems (Brunila et al forthcoming;Fernandes 2015;MEAE 2017;Benton 2014).…”