As Foucault (1982) observes, the power of the neoliberal system lies in the fact that no central authority pre-determines the collection and dissemination of knowledge in any prescribed way, but a certain state of subordination of individuals to the government empowers it. In the 1980s, the neoliberal ideology reached all sectors of society in the UK, including education (Mula-Falcón et al., 2021). It was characterised by principles such as the privatisation of public services and the free-market economy, which drove higher education institutions to aim to respond to market demand by scaling up knowledge production (Marginson, 2018). A range of neoliberal policies have been enacted, such as private management of the public sector and quality assessment systems that quantify academia (Ball, 2003). Morley (2004) argues that dissecting things requires situating them in broad power relations to decode transactional meanings and thus deconstruct the oppressed group's subjection to dominant discourses. I will critically explore the way in which neoliberal managerialism has constructed a quantified UK research culture through competition, performance and audit, resetting the reputation, status and resources of academic communities. This academic capitalisation has created divisions and anxieties in the UK academic community, breeding an emasculated academic freedom. Thereby arguing that neoliberal managerialism with its economic rationality, competitive core and market mechanisms sacked traditional academic values and instituted a neoliberal research culture.

Authors:
Miaomiao Jia, University of Cardiff, United Kingdom

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Posted by Clive Staples Lewis

Last updated: 2023-02-23 23:45:00

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