The imperative of emotional management. Psychologization and depoliticization in times of covid

Abstract

In the context of Covid-19's outbreak, the discourse of “emotional management” permeated in various contexts, from schools, to the interior of houses, through coaching, websites, influencers, etc. In this context, the Generalitat de Catalunya launched “GestióEmocional.cat “, a digital platform available to all citizens with the unique goal of enabling people with psychological disorders to self-manage their emotions from home. The present essay seeks to understand some of the social, economic and historical processes that have turned 'emotional management' one of the most widespread resources in neoliberal societies today. Throughout this article, a systematic reflection is carried out that invites us to problematize what “emotional management” is in the neoliberal context, through some of the theoretical debates on the subject, focusing specifically on the case of the digital platform GestióEmocional cat. Firstly, I will try to understand how these policies start from a psychologizing approach to structural inequalities, leaving the structural and socio-cultural variables in the approach to psychological discomfort behind. Secondly, it will be explained how the imperative of emotional management could not have been deployed without the emergence of a subject willing to manage all spheres of their life, including emotions. Additionally, it will be illustrated how emotional management deploys a series of “psi techniques” that push individuals to a constant self-realization in order to achieve the ideals of well-being, leading to a generalized depoliticization.