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From Revolt to Reform: Student Protests and the Higher Education Agenda in England 2009–2019

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Student Movements in Late Neoliberalism

Part of the book series: Social Movements and Transformation ((SMT))

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Abstract

This chapter analyzes how the dynamics of cooperation and competition between student movement organizations and third parties shaped the impact of student protests in higher education policy in England between 2010 and 2019. The chapter analyzes the wave of higher education reforms and university student protests of 2009–2014 and 2015–2019. For each period, the chapter examines the strategy and alliances of leading student organizations and the impact that protests have on higher education policy. The chapter suggests that English student protests have a low impact on policy due to the existence of competitive relationships between leading organizations, and the lack of strong connections to third parties. The chapter concludes by reflecting on strategic tensions that student activists experienced during the transition from opposition and revolt against neoliberal policies, to reform and influence higher education policy through alliances with the Labour party and the rise of Corbynism.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Social Research Institute, University College London (UCL), London, UK

    Hector Rios-Jara

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  1. Hector Rios-Jara
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Correspondence to Hector Rios-Jara .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Florence, Italy

    Lorenzo Cini

  2. Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Florence, Italy

    Donatella della Porta

  3. Institute of Citizenship Studies, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    César Guzmán-Concha

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Rios-Jara, H. (2021). From Revolt to Reform: Student Protests and the Higher Education Agenda in England 2009–2019. In: Cini, L., della Porta, D., Guzmán-Concha, C. (eds) Student Movements in Late Neoliberalism. Social Movements and Transformation. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75754-0_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75754-0_9

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-75753-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-75754-0

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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