Towards a governmentality analysis of education policy

Doherty, R. (2006) Towards a governmentality analysis of education policy. In: Weber, S. and Maurer, S. (eds.) Gouvernementalität und Erziehungswissenschaft: Wissen - Macht - Transformation. VS Verlag: Weisbaden, pp. 51-61. ISBN 9783531901947 (doi: 10.1007/978-3-531-90194-7_3)

Abstract

This chapter attempts to draw on the idea of’ governmentality’ as developed in the latter opus of Michel Foucault in order to explore the horizon it may offer in relation to a critical policy scholarship applied to education. Critical policy analysis understands policy as an expression of political rationality, and as a constituent of the scaffolding that establishes and maintains the current political project, the project ’in motion’, that gives order and direction to the state. A characteristic of education policy under the new capitalism1 (Jessop 2000) is its unremitting disposition to fix the limits and possibilities of national projects of education at the regional, state and supranational level. Policy production now takes place in an atmosphere infused by the economic, political, social and cultural affects of globalisation. As a consequence, education policy is constructed and shaped to reflect this ’new complexity’ in the policy-making climate, a complexily comprised of the interrelation between the supranational, the nation state and the regional.

• Item Type: Book Sections
• Additional Information: Online resource
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Doherty, Dr Robert
• Authors: Doherty, R.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Professional Learning and Leadership ; College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Culture, Literacies, Inclusion & Pedagogy
• Journal Name: Gouvernementalitdt und Erziehungswissenschaft: Wissen - Macht - Transformation
• Publisher: VS Verlag
• ISBN: 9783531901947