Chow, Danny orcid.org/0000-0001-8410-0663 and Bracci, Enrico orcid.org/0000-0001-5048-9260 (2020) Neoliberalism, accounting and the transformation of subjectivities in social work: A study on the implementation of personal budgets. Financial Accountability and Management. ISSN 1468-0408
Abstract
This study examines, through the case of Personal Budgets in England, the role of accounting in transforming the subjectivities of social workers through a Foucauldian lens. The findings show how accounting can reshape the subjectivities of social workers serving as intermediaries responsible for the frontline implementation of neoliberal reforms. It does so through an empirical demonstration on how accounting harnesses an individual’s autonomy and responsibility to nurture ‘productive’ relationships between citizens and the state. Furthermore, the findings also highlight the vulnerability of social workers’ subjectivities from the installation of an accounting infrastructure with multiple capabilities. This study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how neoliberal policies transforms subjectivities in social work and adds to the literature on accounting’s biopolitical role in the reconstitution of such subjectivities. It also addresses the relative neglect of studies examining the role of accounting in neoliberal transformations of social work which, despite its significance for an ageing society and its attendant consequences for public finances, receives far less attention than healthcare reforms.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details. |
Keywords: | Neoliberal; Accounting; Social work; Subjectivity; Foucault |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > The York Management School |
Depositing User: | Dr Danny Chow |
Date Deposited: | 31 Jan 2020 12:54 |
Last Modified: | 31 Mar 2022 00:38 |
Status: | Published online |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | DOI: 10.1111/faam.12231 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:156308 |