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The Elephant in the Room: Science Education, Neoliberalism and Resistance

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Activist Science and Technology Education

Part of the book series: Cultural Studies of Science Education ((CSSE,volume 9))

Abstract

In this chapter, I examine the place of political discourse in science education, which Erminia Pedretti and Joanne Nazir (Sci Educ 95(4):601–626, 2011) acknowledge has been accorded very “limited” study (p. 618). Specifically, I review the pervasive metadiscourse of neoliberalism, which is now the common-sense way many of us interpret, live in, and understand the world. Exposing and scrutinizing neoliberalism not only enhances the quality of our theorizing about the underdone political in science education, it also facilitates our attempts to develop better science education. I draw a link between neoliberalism and activism by foregrounding two very significant political moments (both as momentary events that were also momentous turning points) that took place some 30 years apart. Firstly, Michel Foucault’s lectures to the Collège de France in 1978 and 1979 on biopolitics and governmentality, and secondly, perhaps the better known Occupy Wall Street protests that began during September 2011 in Zuccotti Park in New York City. I finish by drawing out some implications for activism/resistance in science education.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Peck (2010) provides a lucid overview of neoliberalism, about the lack of consensus on it as a messy diverse and hybrid hegemon, and about the increasing reams of scholarship it commands particularly after it was declared dead in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis. Rather than gone, it is now viewed as having increased its grip on the world.

  2. 2.

    Throughout this chapter, I use lengthy quotations from Foucault’s work. This is deliberate choice, as Foucault’s own words capture the nuances of his meaning better than I could ever hope to achieve. This does mean though, that Foucault’s gendered language remains intact.

  3. 3.

    The decentralized nature of Occupy is readily apparent in the myriad of websites and other online tags that were noted above. It is a true Deleuzian and Guattarian rhizome.

  4. 4.

    What word is appropriate here? I considered ‘enough’ amongst other like terms, but can activism ever be conceived of as such. I have settled on ‘okay’ as a compromise.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, Australian Catholic University, 115 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy, Melbourne, VIC, 3065, Australia

    Lyn Carter

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  1. Lyn Carter
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Correspondence to Lyn Carter .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    John Bencze

  2. Faculty of Education and Department of Science and Technology Studies, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Steve Alsop

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Carter, L. (2014). The Elephant in the Room: Science Education, Neoliberalism and Resistance. In: Bencze, J., Alsop, S. (eds) Activist Science and Technology Education. Cultural Studies of Science Education, vol 9. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4360-1_2

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