Analyzing Social Policy with Governmentality Lens

The present paper introduces "governmentality" as conceptual apparatus in analyzing social policy. The center of this apparatus is the study of the way in which power is substantiated by social policy. So we should answer such questions: what are political rationalities (discourses) governing social policy? Which technologies actualize social policy? Which subjects and identities are construct in citizens by social policies? In this paper, by applying theoretical-analytical methodogy, we try to introduce and discuss the position and application of governmentality in analyzing social policy. This can be achieved by epistemological and methodological visions: 1) in epistemological area, by using this approach, we can analyze social policy by rationality, technology and, subject of government dimensions, and 2) in methodological domain, although analyze of social policy with governmentality lens is possible with both discourse analysis and genealogy methods, latter method is preferred. Governmentality approach has gotten high capacity of analyzing different areas of social policy since 1990, yet has been used neither theoretically nor empirically in Iran. Regarding this absence, many dimensions of social policy will be neglected from theory and praxis.