Markets, equality and democratic education: Confronting the neoliberal and libertarian reconceptualisations of education
The global emergence of market liberalism marks an effort to decouple the link between citizenship and the welfare state and to rearticulate people’s identity as homo economicus, as independent citizens having the right to property and the freedom to choose in the marketplace. Confronting this phen...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of the Free State
2010-12-01
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| Series: | Perspectives in Education |
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| Online Access: | http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/56 |
| _version_ | 1797257930248028160 |
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| author | Youl-Kwan Sung |
| author_facet | Youl-Kwan Sung |
| author_sort | Youl-Kwan Sung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
The global emergence of market liberalism marks an effort to decouple the link between citizenship and the welfare state and to rearticulate people’s identity as homo economicus, as independent citizens having the right to property and the freedom to choose in the marketplace. Confronting this phenomenon, this paper reviews neoliberal and libertarian understandings of educational equality and democratic education and interrogates the rationale for the justification of markets in education. In the process, I criticise the notion of possessive individualism as a principle of democratic education on the grounds that such a notion explains human action only at the individual level, as a matter of free will, and not as a part of the cultural and political struggle for nondiscrimination. I also provide reasons why the claim to equal respect and recognition needs to be given more importance in education and argue for the social responsibility to secure not only students’ educational opportunities, but also their opportunity to reflectively consider what counts as equal value.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:45:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1c3633251dfd4d3c85e8e2beaaf7a168 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0258-2236 2519-593X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:45:28Z |
| publishDate | 2010-12-01 |
| publisher | University of the Free State |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Perspectives in Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-1c3633251dfd4d3c85e8e2beaaf7a1682024-03-18T11:12:20ZengUniversity of the Free StatePerspectives in Education0258-22362519-593X2010-12-0128410.38140/pie.v28i4.56Markets, equality and democratic education: Confronting the neoliberal and libertarian reconceptualisations of educationYoul-Kwan Sung0Kyung-Hee University, South Korea The global emergence of market liberalism marks an effort to decouple the link between citizenship and the welfare state and to rearticulate people’s identity as homo economicus, as independent citizens having the right to property and the freedom to choose in the marketplace. Confronting this phenomenon, this paper reviews neoliberal and libertarian understandings of educational equality and democratic education and interrogates the rationale for the justification of markets in education. In the process, I criticise the notion of possessive individualism as a principle of democratic education on the grounds that such a notion explains human action only at the individual level, as a matter of free will, and not as a part of the cultural and political struggle for nondiscrimination. I also provide reasons why the claim to equal respect and recognition needs to be given more importance in education and argue for the social responsibility to secure not only students’ educational opportunities, but also their opportunity to reflectively consider what counts as equal value. http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/56NeoliberalismLibertarianismMarket-based education reformDemocratic education |
| spellingShingle | Youl-Kwan Sung Markets, equality and democratic education: Confronting the neoliberal and libertarian reconceptualisations of education Perspectives in Education Neoliberalism Libertarianism Market-based education reform Democratic education |
| title | Markets, equality and democratic education: Confronting the neoliberal and libertarian reconceptualisations of education |
| title_full | Markets, equality and democratic education: Confronting the neoliberal and libertarian reconceptualisations of education |
| title_fullStr | Markets, equality and democratic education: Confronting the neoliberal and libertarian reconceptualisations of education |
| title_full_unstemmed | Markets, equality and democratic education: Confronting the neoliberal and libertarian reconceptualisations of education |
| title_short | Markets, equality and democratic education: Confronting the neoliberal and libertarian reconceptualisations of education |
| title_sort | markets equality and democratic education confronting the neoliberal and libertarian reconceptualisations of education |
| topic | Neoliberalism Libertarianism Market-based education reform Democratic education |
| url | http://196.255.246.28/index.php/pie/article/view/56 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT youlkwansung marketsequalityanddemocraticeducationconfrontingtheneoliberalandlibertarianreconceptualisationsofeducation |