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Glite Dictionary
governmentality

governmentality

1 9.8
Ways those in power manage and control people and society with policies and ideas
  • noun
  • /ˌɡʌvərˈmɛnˌtælɪti/
  • Formal
: gubernamentalidad
  • She wrote her thesis on governmentality, focusing on how governments regulate populations through various techniques.
  • the concept of governmentality
  • the formulation of governmentality
  • new forms of governmentality

So this is a very rich concept here, this governmentality or government.

Examples

  • Inspired by Foucault's concept of governmentality, several scholars have critiqued the so-called 'who governs?' tradition.

    Blog text (15)

  • However, these two accounts depict governmentality as a top-down strategy imposed by either a state or supra-state entity.

    Academic text (2004)

  • In the same way, we can ask: to which question is governmentality the answer?

    Blog text (15)

  • Several studies have been conducted on governmentality and families.

    Academic text (2011)

  • 44 We, therefore, have to keep in mind that governmentality is but one among many ways of governing.

    Blog text (15)

  • Here I mean neoliberalism as governmentality, rather than as a policy or more "pure" ideology.

    Blog text (10)

  • Recent scholarship tends to examine liberalizing Africa through the state's changing relationship to governmentality.

    Academic text (2009)

  • In making this argument, the paper builds on previous efforts to deploy the concept of governmentality in transnational contexts.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Recent work has dealt with neoliberalism and governmentality as they manifest in Indian Country.

    Academic text (2008)

  • But from the British Protectorate period onwards, colonial governmentality was premised on a racialized subject, transforming local categories of identity into ethnic markers.

    Academic text (2009)

Synonyms

governance
vsgovernmentality
  • Specialized
92 5.6

How a country or organization is run and who makes decisions

focuses on techniques, policies, and ways of thinking used to control people

Antonyms

chaos
512 3.1

A situation with no order where people are confused and cannot act normally

anarchy
85 6.5

A situation with no government and much disorder

How Statist

welfarist
1 7.7
governmentality
  • Formal
1 9.8
free market policy
  • Formal
1 4.1

Surface Forms

governmentality singular
governmentalities plural

Morphology

governmentality = governmental (semi-transparent) = government + al + ity

Formed by adding the noun-forming suffix '-ity' to 'governmental', but the term denotes a specialized academic concept beyond a simple 'state of being governmental'.

Etymology

Governmentality comes from the word government and the ending -ality, which means 'the way or quality of'. So, governmentality is a term for the way governments 'govern' or 'manage' people and society.