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Looking Ahead, Strategies for Resistance and Change

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Neoliberalization, Universities and the Public Intellectual

Part of the book series: Palgrave Critical University Studies ((PCU))

Abstract

Throughout this book, we have explored the consequences of neoliberalism on and in academia, primarily in terms of how it affects the kinds of knowledge produced and valued. We have used our own experiences of producing marginalized work that advocates for oppressed groups (other species, women, and those who are part of the working class) to argue that one of the key dangers of the neoliberalization of the academy is that it pushes knowledge production to a conservative middle, if not to the far right. As a result, ‘safe’ knowledge and discourse abounds—in the classroom and in the research conducted, funded and disseminated by the neoliberal university. We see safe knowledge as that which fits with, or at least does not seriously challenge, neoliberal discourses about the utility of the market, benefits of new managerialism, and wisdom of transforming education and research from processes to products.

We have argued that this has potentially dire consequences, beyond those on individuals caught up in a system that continuously demands more from them for less rewards (also see Khan [Sustainable Development 23(1):55–63, 2015]). At stake is the loss of a space where truly critical work is produced and given consideration. In this final chapter, we consider ways in which these spaces might be protected and the neoliberalization of academia and knowledge production might be resisted, individually and collectively [also see Smith (Indigenous Experience Today, 2007)]. We start by briefly summarizing our own beliefs about the damage wrought by the spread of neoliberalism into the academy and then move on to two concrete areas where resistance might be realized: in (feminist) research and through collective action.

Resistance is no longer an option: it is a necessity (Giroux 2015, p. 96, emphasis added).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia

    Heather Fraser & Nik Taylor

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  1. Heather Fraser
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  2. Nik Taylor
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Fraser, H., Taylor, N. (2016). Looking Ahead, Strategies for Resistance and Change. In: Neoliberalization, Universities and the Public Intellectual. Palgrave Critical University Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57909-6_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-57909-6_6

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-57908-9

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