“This is what a feminist looks like" : A comparative case study of neoliberal discourses from Thatcher to May and its gendered implications

Abstract: Tracing the construction of gender neoliberalism in the United Kingdom with the context of austerity measures and increased social divisions stemming from the European Union referendum, this research analyses the way political discourses act to legitimize gender neoliberalism as the hegemonic rationality in the Conservative Party. Undertaking a comparative case study approach, this study aims to examine the evolution of neoliberal rationality in political discourses between the two female Prime Ministers of the country, namely, Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May. It seeks to add to the body of literature on right-wing politics and gender, through the theoretical framework of intersectionality to consider the implications of the rhetoric on intersecting forms of oppression, specifically, of gender and socioeconomic status. This aim will be achieved through the research question of: How is (implicitly and explicitly) gendered and classist neoliberal rationality promoted and legitimized in the political discourses of Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May? Additional sub-research questions will guide the research in terms of its comparative approach and consider the prominence of neoliberal feminism in the discourses as well. This analysis will be conducted through a corpus of speeches, articles, and interviews by the two politicians in their first year and a half in office. The research employs a feminist critical discourse analysis to understand the way ideology and power in discourses maintain gendered social hierarchies. The analysis found a relatively stagnant evolution of gender neoliberalism between the leaders, where deeply gendered and classist discourses continued to be legitimised but through a different neoliberal focus.