The Enterprising Parent A Critical Examination of Parenting, Consumption and Identity

This article is a criticalanalysis ofhow modern western parental identity, parenting practices and children's gendered identities are shaped by discourses of consumption and psychotherapy, as manifested through "entrepreneurialism. " Examining the entrepreneurialdiscourse surrounding "theperfect childs dirtbdayparty, " the authors examine how self-improvement, individualism, and consumption infirm and constrain parental decision-making and, ultimately, their own and their children's gendered identities. Several ways of resisting the entrepreneurial discourse are suggested with an eye towardshifting our dejnition ofgoodcitizenship,'3nclzlding goodparenting,pom consumption t o service. "The Perfect Outdoor Kids ' Party! " shouts the cover of my latest copy of Child magazine. Wonderful! I think to myself. Timely advice for my son's upcoming birthday. I flip to the page indicated in the table of contents. "Fresh Squeezed Fun" is scrawled across a picture of cut lemons. "They'll love every juicy minute!" Wow, I think. What a telling introduction for a piece on parenting, consumption and identity. In this piece, we explore how modern western parental identity, parenting practices and children's gendered identities are shaped by discourses of con-sumption and psychotherapy, as they are manifest in "entrepreneurialism." Entrepreneurialism describes a relatively new form of subjectivity wherein individuals act as "entrepreneurs of themselves, seeking to maximize their 'quality of life ' through the artful assembly of a 'life-style ' put together through the world of goods " (Miller and Rose, 1990: 25). These "enterprising subjects" (Du Gay, 1996) or "entrepreneurial selves " (Miller and Rose, 1990) are driven to pursue "meaning, responsibility, and a sense of personal achievement in life