Neoliberal Feminism and the Discourse of Self-Improvement

Neoliberal Feminism and the Discourse of Self-Improvement utilises feministcritical discourse analysis to examine the language and narratives within self-helpliterature targeted at women.Giuliana Ferri critically explores the discourse of self-improvement, focusingon how neoliberal values of empowerment and individual fulfilment have beenco-opted by elite feminism as a “technology of the self”. She unpacks how thisdiscourse constructs an idealised image of the “empowered woman”—one whois portrayed as capable of overcoming patriarchy through the affirmation ofinnate strength and resilience. Drawing on Marxist feminism and feministsocial reproduction theory, the book highlights how neoliberal feminism marketswomen as entrepreneurs, “badass feminists”, and successful workingmothers, all while obscuring the realities of increasing work precarization andflexibilisation in post-industrial societies.Through its feminist critical discourse analysis, the book reveals how theseseemingly empowering narratives shift the responsibility for systemic changeonto individuals, rather than positioning feminism as a collective, anti-capitalistmovement for liberation. By integrating applied linguistics with Marxist feminismand social reproduction theory, this text provides a unique interdisciplinary perspective,making it a key reading for scholars and students of language, gender,and economic systems.