Psychopolitics and Neoliberal Subject Formation: A Case Study at the University of Costa Rica, Guanacaste Campus
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15517/rr.v107i1.00005Keywords:
Psychopolitics, Subjectivity, Neoliberalism, Performance, Higher educationAbstract
Introduction: This article examines how the discourses produced by students at the Guanacaste Campus of the University of Costa Rica give rise to the reproduction of neoliberal rationalities that progressively shape certain modes of subjectivation. These rationalities — by mobilizing notions of individual autonomy and responsibility, as well as affectivity — operate as genuine techniques for governing conduct.
Objective: To describe and interpret the convergence of performance rationality, the moralization of the entrepreneurial subject, and the emotionalization of work in Final Graduation Projects completed between 2021 and 2025 at the Guanacaste Campus.
Method and technique: This study draws on a hermeneutic and discursive analysis of a corpus comprising fifteen Final Graduation Projects. An analytical and systematic reading of the material was conducted to identify discursive units related to performance, efficiency, and personal responsibility, as well as to entrepreneurial initiative and emotion management. Once identified, the relevant excerpts were entered into an analytical matrix for subsequent interpretation.
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