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A Neoliberalist Solution for a Neoliberalist Problem: The Neoliberalist normalisation of psychosocial support for parent-carers

Deacon, Lesley, Nicholson, Philip and Allen, Kim (2020) A Neoliberalist Solution for a Neoliberalist Problem: The Neoliberalist normalisation of psychosocial support for parent-carers. CASS Woking Papers.

Item Type: Article

Abstract

Research in the social sciences has challenged the rhetoric that Austerity measures, implemented since the 2008 financial crash, are economically motived; and instead suggest they are underpinned ideologically by Neoliberalism. Such measures have had a significant impact on the most vulnerable members of society, particularly women, and specifically mothers. This small-scale research study sought to understand the experiences of mother parent-carers of children with disabilities and/or life limiting conditions, who accessed psychosocial support from a local charity. The findings show that although parent-carers report immediate benefits from the charity’s psychosocial support services, they do so in a way in which perceived benefits are illustrative of underlying Neoliberalist ideology; such as not expecting help from the state, expecting barriers to support and instead accepting the responsibilsation of their role as parent-carer. This article theorises therefore that the provision of psycho-social support for parent-carers, in particular, is in fact ideologically motivated to minimise state intervention rather than being concerned with parent-carers’ welfare. This raises important questions regarding the degradation of welfare and how, seemingly benefit-focused support (particularly self-help) is in fact perpetuating Neoliberal ideology.

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CASS Working Paper - 9 March 2020 - MD (1).docx - Accepted Version

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More Information

Depositing User: Lesley Deacon

Identifiers

Item ID: 12045
URI: http://sure.sunderland.ac.uk/id/eprint/12045
Official URL: https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/more/research/institu...

Users with ORCIDS

ORCID for Lesley Deacon: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0031-2445

Catalogue record

Date Deposited: 15 May 2020 10:44
Last Modified: 19 Dec 2023 04:30

Contributors

Author: Lesley Deacon ORCID iD
Author: Philip Nicholson
Author: Kim Allen

University Divisions


Faculty of Education and Society > School of Social Sciences > Centre for Applied Social Sciences

Subjects

Social Sciences > Health and Social Care

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