Neoliberal Feminism and the Discourse of Self-Improvement utilises feminist
critical discourse analysis to examine the language and narratives within self-help
literature targeted at women.
Giuliana Ferri critically explores the discourse of self-improvement, focusing
on how neoliberal values of empowerment and individual fulfilment have been
co-opted by elite feminism as a “technology of the self”. She unpacks how this
discourse constructs an idealised image of the “empowered woman”—one who
is portrayed as capable of overcoming patriarchy through the affirmation of
innate strength and resilience. Drawing on Marxist feminism and feminist
social reproduction theory, the book highlights how neoliberal feminism markets
women as entrepreneurs, “badass feminists”, and successful working
mothers, all while obscuring the realities of increasing work precarization and
flexibilisation in post-industrial societies.
Through its feminist critical discourse analysis, the book reveals how these
seemingly empowering narratives shift the responsibility for systemic change
onto individuals, rather than positioning feminism as a collective, anti-capitalist
movement for liberation. By integrating applied linguistics with Marxist feminism
and 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.