Neoliberal Rationality and Neohygienist Morality. A Foucaldian Analysis of Safe and Sustainable Urban Transport Policies in France

Abstract

This article proposes to use Foucaldian analysis frameworks to inform us about neoliberalization, not so much from the viewpoint of political economics as in terms of the governance of individual behaviours. This theoretical ambition is based on the empirical analysis of contemporary policies in favour of safe, sustainable mobility in France. Characterized by the emphasis placed on users’ individual responsibility and their capacity to adopt economically rational behaviours on the one hand and by powerful moral injunctions for them to adopt the ‘right’ safe, healthy, sustainable behaviours on the other, a neoliberal and neohygienist rationality feeds these public policies. Legitimated by ‘noble causes’ and depoliticized, these policies give a powerful organization of traffic in the city whose social challenges are evaded. The use of morality works as a powerful democratic anesthetic that dissolves any objection. An examination of Safe and Sustainable Urban Transport Policies testifies to the renewed subtle, diffuse mechanisms of domination based on free compliance and consent.

Résumé

Cet article propose de mobiliser des cadres d'analyse foucaldiens pour renseigner la néolibéralisation, non pas tant sous l'angle de l’économie politique, mais comme gouvernement des conduites individuelles. Cette ambition théorique s'appuie sur l'analyse empirique des politiques contemporaines en faveur de la mobilité sûre et durable en France. Caractérisée par la mise en avant de la responsabilité individuelle des usagers et leur capacité à adopter des comportements économiquement rationnels d'une part, et par de puissantes injonctions morales à ce qu'ils adoptent de « bons » comportements sûrs, sains et durables d'autre part, une rationalité néolibérale et néohygiéniste irrigue ces politiques publiques. Légitimées par de « nobles causes » et dépolitisées, ces politiques organisent de puissantes mises en ordre des circulations dans la ville dont les enjeux sociaux sont éludés. Le recours à la morale agit comme un puissant anesthésiant démocratique qui vient dissoudre les prises de la contestation. L'examen des politiques en faveur de la mobilité sûre et durable témoigne de mécanismes renouvelés, subtils et diffus de domination fondés sur la libre-conformation et le consentement.

Extracto

En este artículo proponemos utilizar un análisis de marco foucaultiano para que nos aporte información sobre la neoliberalización, no tanto desde el punto de vista de la economía política sino más bien en términos de la gobernanza de las conductas individuales. Esta ambición teórica se basa en el análisis empírico de las políticas contemporáneas a favor de una movilidad segura y sostenible en Francia. Caracterizada, por una parte, por el énfasis puesto en la responsabilidad individual de los usuarios y su capacidad para adoptar comportamientos económicamente racionales y, por otra, por los poderosos mandatos morales para que adopten las ‘correctas’ conductas seguras, sanas y sostenibles, una racionalidad neoliberal y neohigienista alimenta estas políticas públicas. Estas políticas, legitimadas por ‘causas nobles’ y despolitizadas, proporcionan una influyente organización del tráfico en la ciudad mientras sus retos sociales se evaden. El uso de la moralidad funciona como un potente anestético democrático que disuelve cualquier objeción. Un examen de las políticas del transporte urbano seguro y sostenible demuestra los renovados mecanismos discretos y difusos de la dominación basada en el libre cumplimiento y consentimiento.

摘要

本文计画运用傅柯的分析架构来告知我们对新自由主义的认识，该架构并非从政治经济学的观点，而是就个人行为的治理进行分析。此一理论企图，是根据对法国当代侧重安全与可持续能动性的政策所进行的经验分析。新自由主义与新卫生主义理性，一方面以强调使用者的个人责任及其採纳经济理性行为的能力为特徵，另一方面对其注入强而有力的道德训育以接受 “正确的” 安全、健康、可持续行为并以此为特徵，因而深化了上述的公共政策。这些政策因 “高贵的动机” 而受到合理化、且是去政治化的，并赋予城市中的交通一种强大的组织，而其社会挑战则受到回避。能动性的运用，作为消解任何反对异议的强力民主美学。对 “安全及可持续城市运输政策” 进行检视，证实了根据自主顺从与合意的復甦的微妙、扩散的支配机制。

Keywords:

• governmentality
• urban policy
• mobility
• neoliberalism
• urban governance
• sustainable development

Acknowledgments

For critical comments and astute suggestions on this article, the author would like to thank Gilles Pinson as well as TPG's reviewers. The research for this paper was founded by the French National Research Agency (ANR).

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. This controversy was the subject of the international conference ‘The Neoliberal City: a Credible Thesis’, held in Lyon-Saint Etienne on 13 and 14 September 2012, and from which this article comes.

2. Orientation Law on Internal Transports (LOTI – Loi d'Orientation sur les Transports Intérieurs), Law 82–1153, 30 December 1982. The LOTI law created the Urban Travel Plans. The aim was to promote an urban transport system in favor of public transport.

3. Law on the Air and Rational Energy Use (LAURE – Loi sur l'Air et l'Utilisation Rationnelle de l'Energie), Law 96–1236, 30 December 1996, and Law on Solidarity and Urban Renewal (SRU – Loi Relative à la Solidarité et au Renouvellement Urbains), Law 2000–1208, 13 December 2000. The LAURE law reactivated Urban Travel Plans to play an ecological and public health role. Towns of more than 100,000 inhabitants had to work out their own sustainable mobility management.

4. Since 2010, the regulation of automobile access to the city through fees is now possible in France by the setting up of urban toll systems. Law No. 2010–788 of 12 July 2010 containing the national commitment to the environment, JORF No. 0160 of 13 July 2010.

5. Bicycles and walking are travel methods with a risk of injury per kilometer that is five to ten times higher than for automobiles (ELVIK and Vaa, 2004).

6. Law on Solidarity and Urban Renewal (SRU – Loi Relative à la Solidarité et au Renouvellement Urbains), Law 2000–1208, 13 December 2000, article 96.

7. This is an interesting example. The Parisian self-service bicycle system, ‘Vélib'', has been the subject of lively controversies between Paris City Hall (Socialist) and certain elected municipal officials from the Verts party (Greens). The latter came out against a costly system that serves the privatization of public spaces and the advertising market. The Verts nonetheless decided not to vote against the ‘Velib'' project. Discussion with these elected officials testified that this alignment was adopted given the difficulty of accepting to cast a vote that would not be understood and interpreted as being against the use of bicycles in the city (Tironi, 2011).

8. The reference publications are: Safety Science, Accident Analysis and Prevention, and the Journal of Safety Research.