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Dynamics of Self-Optimisation: An Introduction

Anja Röcke, Daniel Nehring Orcid Logo, Suvi Salmenniemi

Historical Social Research, Volume: 49, Issue: 3, Pages: 7 - 30

Swansea University Author: Daniel Nehring Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.12759/hsr.49.2024.22

Abstract

This introduction explores the increasing pervasiveness of discourses and practices of selfoptimisationin present-day societies. These are evident in activities such as self-tracking, fitness training, cosmetic surgery, neuroenhancement, or the consumption of nutritional supplements. The growing app...

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Published in: Historical Social Research
ISSN: 0172-6404 0172-6404
Published: Mannheim GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences 2024
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67860
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first_indexed 2024-09-30T14:07:22Z
last_indexed 2024-09-30T14:07:22Z
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spelling v2 67860 2024-09-30 Dynamics of Self-Optimisation: An Introduction ae8d2c719dc7935fbf07d354a2b30dee 0000-0002-5346-6301 Daniel Nehring Daniel Nehring true false 2024-09-30 SOSS This introduction explores the increasing pervasiveness of discourses and practices of selfoptimisationin present-day societies. These are evident in activities such as self-tracking, fitness training, cosmetic surgery, neuroenhancement, or the consumption of nutritional supplements. The growing appeal and diffusion of these various practices testifies to the overall cultural attraction of self-optimisation, which is a multifaceted phenomenon. Against the dominant interpretation of self-optimisation as mainly driven by the logic of maximisation and growth, we argue that it can also be about minimalism or balance. At the same time, self-optimisation is strongly connected to dynamics of power andsocial inequality, potentially reinforcing existing social inequalities and creating new forms of domination and control. The paper starts by charting the existing research and theoretical approaches to self-optimisation, presents the contributions to the special issue, addresses a set of key domains of selfoptimisation (therapeutic culture, health and well-being, digital technologies, work, and economy), and finally draws conclusions and suggests some avenues for future research. Journal Article Historical Social Research 49 3 7 30 GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences Mannheim 0172-6404 0172-6404 self-image; optimization; therapy; health; well-being; power; social inequality 30 9 2024 2024-09-30 10.12759/hsr.49.2024.22 https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/96862 https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/96862 COLLEGE NANME Social Sciences School COLLEGE CODE SOSS Swansea University Not Required 2024-10-10T11:45:56.6516643 2024-09-30T15:00:13.2232500 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Social Sciences - Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy Anja Röcke 1 Daniel Nehring 0000-0002-5346-6301 2 Suvi Salmenniemi 3 67860__32577__1aba2ca35738471892308c4d3c914409.pdf 67860.VoR.pdf 2024-10-10T11:41:57.8604184 Output 657626 application/pdf Version of Record true This document is made available under a CC BY Licence (Attribution). true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
title Dynamics of Self-Optimisation: An Introduction
spellingShingle Dynamics of Self-Optimisation: An Introduction
Daniel Nehring
title_short Dynamics of Self-Optimisation: An Introduction
title_full Dynamics of Self-Optimisation: An Introduction
title_fullStr Dynamics of Self-Optimisation: An Introduction
title_full_unstemmed Dynamics of Self-Optimisation: An Introduction
title_sort Dynamics of Self-Optimisation: An Introduction
author_id_str_mv ae8d2c719dc7935fbf07d354a2b30dee
author_id_fullname_str_mv ae8d2c719dc7935fbf07d354a2b30dee_***_Daniel Nehring
author Daniel Nehring
author2 Anja Röcke
Daniel Nehring
Suvi Salmenniemi
format Journal article
container_title Historical Social Research
container_volume 49
container_issue 3
container_start_page 7
publishDate 2024
institution Swansea University
issn 0172-6404
0172-6404
doi_str_mv 10.12759/hsr.49.2024.22
publisher GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Social Sciences - Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Social Sciences - Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy
url https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/96862
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description This introduction explores the increasing pervasiveness of discourses and practices of selfoptimisationin present-day societies. These are evident in activities such as self-tracking, fitness training, cosmetic surgery, neuroenhancement, or the consumption of nutritional supplements. The growing appeal and diffusion of these various practices testifies to the overall cultural attraction of self-optimisation, which is a multifaceted phenomenon. Against the dominant interpretation of self-optimisation as mainly driven by the logic of maximisation and growth, we argue that it can also be about minimalism or balance. At the same time, self-optimisation is strongly connected to dynamics of power andsocial inequality, potentially reinforcing existing social inequalities and creating new forms of domination and control. The paper starts by charting the existing research and theoretical approaches to self-optimisation, presents the contributions to the special issue, addresses a set of key domains of selfoptimisation (therapeutic culture, health and well-being, digital technologies, work, and economy), and finally draws conclusions and suggests some avenues for future research.
published_date 2024-09-30T11:45:55Z
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