Neoliberal technologies of subject formation: a case study of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme

The hegemony of neoliberalism as an economic and Governmental rationality on a global scale is well documented. How it has come to be that way, and how its relevance is upheld is a complex theoretical and historical-empirical question. This article contributes to the discussion by examining the ways...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCritical studies in education Vol. 48; no. 2; pp. 197 - 211
Main Authors Petersen, Eva Bendix, O'Flynn, Gabrielle
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Taylor & Francis 01.09.2007
Routledge
Subjects
Australia
Awards
Case Studies
Curriculum
Discourse Analysis
Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme
Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme
Education
Educational Principles
Extracurricular activities
Females
Foreign Countries
Governmentality
Individual development
International programs
Interviews
Liberalism
Motivation
Neoliberalism
Political Attitudes
Political Socialization
Politics of Education
Recognition (Achievement)
Self Actualization
Self concept
Self motivation
Subject formation
Technologies of the self
Womens Education
Womens Studies
Youth
Australia
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Summary:The hegemony of neoliberalism as an economic and Governmental rationality on a global scale is well documented. How it has come to be that way, and how its relevance is upheld is a complex theoretical and historical-empirical question. This article contributes to the discussion by examining the ways in which neoliberal discourse enters into the production of subjectivity and comes to operate at the level of desire. While subject formation takes place in multiple and contradictory ways, and within and across a multiplicity of social sites, the article focuses on the popular Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme as a technology of neoliberal subjectification. The article analyses how neoliberal discourse manifests itself in the Award's promotional material and programme and, drawing on qualitative semi-structured interviews, how the Award scheme is taken up by students in a prestigious Australian private girls' school.
Bibliography:Refereed article. Includes bibliographical references.
Critical Studies in Education; v.48 n.2 p.197-211; September 2007
Critical Studies in Education, v.48, no.2, Sept 2007: (197)-211
ISSN:1750-8487
1750-8495
DOI:10.1080/17508480701494234