Pedagogical Lessons of Activist Resistance to Neoliberalism in Canadian Higher Education Jorunn Thordarson
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
University of North Dakota UND Scholarly Commons Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects January 2016 Not Your Business: Pedagogical Lessons Of Activist Resistance To Neoliberalism In Canadian Higher Education Jorunn Thordarson Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.und.edu/theses Recommended Citation Thordarson, Jorunn, "Not Your Business: Pedagogical Lessons Of Activist Resistance To Neoliberalism In Canadian Higher Education" (2016). Theses and Dissertations. 2077. https://commons.und.edu/theses/2077 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, and Senior Projects at UND Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UND Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. NOT YOUR BUSINESS: PEDAGOGICAL LESSONS OF ACTIVIST RESISTANCE TO NEOLIBERALISM IN CANADIAN HIGHER EDUCATION by Jórunn V. Thordarson Bachelor of Arts, University of Winnipeg, 2004 Master of Education, University of Manitoba, 2007 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of North Dakota in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Grand Forks, North Dakota August 2016 This dissertation, submitted by Jórunn V. Thordarson in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of North Dakota, has been read by the Faculty Advisory Committee under whom the work has been done and is hereby approved. ____________________________________ Marcus B. Weaver-Hightower ____________________________________ Cheryl Hunter ____________________________________ Clifford Staples ____________________________________ John Wiens This dissertation is being submitted by the appointed advisory committee as having met all of the requirements of the School of Graduate Studies at the University of North Dakota and is hereby approved. ____________________________________________________ Wayne Swisher Dean of the School of Graduate Studies ________________________________ Date ii Title Not Your Business: Pedagogical Lessons of Activist Resistance to Neoliberalism in Canadian Higher Education Department Educational Foundations and Research Degree Doctor of Philosophy In presenting this dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a graduate degree from the University of North Dakota, I agree that the library of this University shall make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for extensive copying for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor who supervised my dissertation work or, in his absence, by the Chairperson of the department or the dean of the Graduate School. It is understood that any copying or publication or other use of this dissertation or part thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of North Dakota in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my dissertation. Jórunn V. Thordarson August 5, 2016 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................... viii ABREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS ................................................................................. xii ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................... xiv CHAPTERS I. ROOT CAUSES & THE SOCIOLOGICAL SIN ............................................1 Statement of Problem .................................................................................14 Research Questions ....................................................................................17 Study Scope and Design ............................................................................18 Phase 1: Policy Review ..................................................................18 Phase 2: Maple Spring Movement .................................................21 Significance of the Study ...........................................................................22 Description of Chapters .............................................................................27 II. STUDY DESIGN & METHOD .....................................................................29 Study Design and Methodological Framework .........................................29 Theoretical Framework: Critical Social Theory ........................................32 Methodological Procedure: Critical Discourse Analysis ...........................38 Phase 1: Scope and Analytic Framework ..................................................44 Phase 2: Scope and Analytic Framework ..................................................49 Triangulation, Trustworthiness, and Reflections on Positionality .............52 Chapter Summary ......................................................................................61 III. NEOLIBERAL IDEOLOGY & DISCOURSES OF DOMINATION ...........62 Understanding Neoliberalism ....................................................................70 The Erosion of the Canadian Welfare State and Ascendancy of Neoliberalism .............................................................................................76 Higher Education in an Era of Neoliberal Ideology ..................................88 Canadian Higher Education .......................................................................93 iv Phase 1: Principal Findings ......................................................................107 Neoliberalism and Canadian Higher Education Policy ...............107 Naturalization of Neoliberalism via Four Discursive Trends ......111 Condensing Education to a Market Function...................113 Conceptualization of Students as Economic Entities .......118 Marketization: Collaboration Between Universities and Private Sector ...................................................................120 Internationalization and Students as Human Capital .......124 Institutional Mission Statements: Hollow Rhetoric or Indicator of Discursive Ideological Struggle? ............................................................129 Chapter Summary ....................................................................................134 IV. IN DEFENSE OF THE PUBLIC: DISCOURSES OF RESISTANCE .......135 Review of Methodology ..........................................................................137 Overview and Historical Context of Maple Spring Movement ...............138 Phase 2: Principal Findings ......................................................................149 Negative Mainstream Media Coverage .......................................149 Criminalizing News Headlines ........................................151 Reframing the Scope: Boycott not Strike ........................155 Over-Lexicalization: Low Tuition ...................................157 Generalization of Violence ..............................................159 Quotation Patterns ............................................................163 Textual Silence and Decontextualization .........................167 The Cultural Politics of Education: Student Strike as Citizen’s Struggle ........................................................................................173 Public Protest as Pedagogical Praxis ...........................................185 Chapter Summary ....................................................................................190 V. ON THE THRESHOLD: HALF AGONY, HALF HOPE ...........................191 Review of Study Purpose and Research Questions ......................................191 Summary of Findings ...................................................................................192 Study Limitations and Future Research .......................................................197 Study Implications and Future Directions ....................................................200 APPENDICES I. Timeline of Major Events in the Maple Spring Movement .........................208 II. Provincial Policy Review .............................................................................210 III. Institutional Policy Review ..........................................................................214 IV. Maple Spring Movement: Mainstream Media Coverage .............................224 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................284 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Undergraduate Tuition Fees by Provincial Jurisdiction ...................................97 2. U15 Research Institutions across Canada ......................................................103 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. U15: A Provincial & Institutional Policy Review ...........................................47 2. Structural Components of University Strategic Plans ...................................110 3. Condensing Education to a Market Function.................................................117 4. Conceptualization of Students as Economic Entities .....................................119 5. Marketization: Collaboration Between Universities