Kate Kirk

“The Big Dilemma”: Everyday Resistance to Neoliberalization

Everyday forms of resistance make no headlines. But just as millions of anthozoan polyps create, willy-nilly, a coral reef, so do  the multiple acts of [peasant] insubordination and evasion create political and economic barriers reefs of their own (Scott 1985; xvii)

In the article posted along with this blog (Bal, Grassiani, Kirk; 2014) we argue that the dominance of neoliberal thinking in university management undermines the quality of education and the wellbeing of staff and students. In an email reacting to our article a colleague mentioned what he called “the big dilemma”. Many academics -myself included- are opposed to the new doctrine of “excellence” in which the cultural, social and economic capital of “excellent” students and researchers is largely ignored. We abhor the increasing managerial control done in the name of “quality assurance” that seem only to increase control itself. We are demotivated by the low prestige teaching is given and the constant struggle to bring in research grants and produce publications. Nevertheless, the very system we oppose makes us too busy to resist and/or we don’t know how to reconcile our career ambitions, our passion for our work and/or our obligation to put food on the table with our consciences. The big dilemma involves the question: How far should we as individuals go along with things and where should we draw a line?

Many of my friends and colleagues went out on the streets of Amsterdam to protest against the mismanagement of the UvA earlier this year. I didn’t attend a single march. I joined the Utrecht University ReThink movement, but I have never attended a meeting. I have added my name to various petitions and worked on a collective letter of complaint; that is the extent of my political participation. I have young children, a relatively long commute to work, and many professional and personal obligations. I am passionate about the issues raised by the ReThink movement but I can’t seem to prioritize protest.

Discomfort with my own lack of participation along with a growing pessimism about the possibility of real structural change arising from political protest has forced me to reflect on ‘the big dilemma’. The ReThink Movement is not just a struggle over the appropriation of funds or about democratization of universities it is about the very meaning of academic work and education. If we do not change our daily professional practices, the movement will easily be appeased with token compromises and the status quo will remain intact. How can we collectively and individually incorporate forms of everyday resistance into our professional practice without compromising our standards or ethics? I hope that we can use this space to share ideas.

I realize that the problem with this call-to-arms is that it may further entrench a culture of distrust between university staff and management. However, if our everyday resistance is done in the interest improving our working conditions as well as the quality of the education we provide and it is coupled with the broader political movement for greater staff and student participation in decision-making, perhaps one day soon we’ll all be on the same team.
Works Cited

Scott, James C. 1985 “Weapons of the Weak, Everyday forms of Peasant Resistance”. New Haven, Connecticut; Yale University Press.