Abstract: Human security with its complexity in the modern world has become a major concern to many scholars and politicians. Several scholarship advocate diverse means of approaching this phenomenon. In order to deal effectively with the situation, some scholars have advocated neo-liberal bio-politics and governmentality as providing a better panacea to this security nexus that confronts the world today. This article therefore explored the existing scholarship on the suitability of neoliberal governmentality and bio-politics to the human security nexus. It particularly focused on the variant arguments presented by the literature and assessed the viability, weaknesses and strengths of such arguments. Based on the analysis, the article concludes that neoliberal governmentality and bio-politics approach to the human (in)security nexus may not be entirely detrimental to human security globally, though, it has its own weaknesses and other implications. It further recommends an all-encompassing globalised mechanism (which includes both state and non-state actors) to help tackle the phenomenon. In particular, it posits that the complexity of the human security phenomenon makes it foggy to conceive just the self-esteem and economic intervention/empowerment of the individual (which is the focus of neoliberal bio-politics and governmentality) as better ameliorating options. Tackling the issue therefore requires coordinated efforts by governments, individuals, local and multinational institutions and society as a whole – it goes beyond self-esteem/freedom and economic wellbeing of a population.
Keywords: neoliberalism, bio-politics, governmentality, human security.
Title: Governmentality and Bio-politics: A Neo-Liberal Approach to Human Security
Author: Isaac Nunoo, Bright Lumor Mensah
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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