‘Thatcher fucked the kids’: a reflection on gender, generation and trauma

Nunn, Heather 2013. ‘Thatcher fucked the kids’: a reflection on gender, generation and trauma. JOMEC Journal (3) 10.18573/j.2013.10250

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Abstract

This essay is a reflection on Thatcher and Thatcherism and the ways in which both the persona and the political ideology have been linked into accusations of crossgenerational social damage through an articulation of gender, trauma and childhood. In short, it considers how ongoing political and social damage becomes rendered as psychic and sexualised abuse and the problems inherent in this transposition. In doing so this essay aims to offer a pointer for future debate and analysis; signalling how political culture and social damage can be critiqued, assertively and even with the language of invective, but without the unhelpful demonising and sexualisation of the political persona. This essay makes the case that the current difficult experiences of living through an economic period of neoliberal failure and the ensuing exigencies of austerity require us to deploy something more considered than the easy jibe or joke and the deflection of blame to the recently deceased Prime Minister. Overall the essay argues that while Thatcherism should be critiqued and so should Thatcher herself for her part in the launch of the neoliberal project we should also bear in mind that over the long haul the neoliberal project is one in which we have all played our particular parts. If we are to move on we should perhaps consider not only our resistance to neoliberalism but also our complicity.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Publisher:	Cardiff University
ISSN:	2049-2340
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	21 January 2025
Last Modified:	22 Jan 2025 09:04
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/175483

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