Gender a výzkum / Gender and Research 2017, 18 (1): 16-41 | DOI: 10.13060/25706578.2017.18.1.348

Neoliberal Universities, Patriarchies, Masculinities, and Myself: Transnational-personal Reflections on and from the Global North

Jeff Hearn

This article reflects on working in eight universities in Finland, Sweden, and the UK, along with many transnational research projects. These are analysed within the framework of what might be called neoliberal universities, neoliberal trans(national)patriarchies, and neoliberal masculinities. Importantly, these are reflections from the global North, being transnationally located there, rather than glossed as 'global' or simply assumed as nationally contextualised. This discussion is located within the burgeoning literature on neoliberalism, and then proceeds to examine, first, experiences in the UK, before those in Finland and Sweden. The final section focuses on the transnationalisation of these neoliberal processes in academia - for example, through transnational research development, projectisation of research, and language use, performance and performativity. In such ways multiple connections are drawn between the greater organisational 'autonomy' of universities, contradictions of transnationalisations of academia, and the construction of 'autonomous' individual(ist) academics.

Keywords: neoliberalism, universities, transnational reflections

Published: March 1, 2017  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Hearn, Jeff. 2017. "Neoliberal Universities, Patriarchies, Masculinities, and Myself: Transnational-personal Reflections on and from the Global North." Gender a výzkum / Gender and Research 18(1):16-41.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Bakker, R. M., Cambré, B., Korlaar, L., Raab, J. 2011. 'Managing the Project Learning Paradox: A Set-theoretic Approach to Project Knowledge Transfer.' International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 29, No. 5: 494-503, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2010.06.002. Go to original source...
    2. Bauman, Z. 1991. Modernity and Ambivalence. Cambridge: Blackwell.
    3. Beer, D. 2016. Metric Power. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
    4. Berg, E. E., Barry, J. J., Chandler, J. J. 2008. 'New Public Management and Social Work in Sweden and England: Challenges and Opportunities for Staff in Predominantly Female Organizations.' International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 28, Nos.3/4: 114-128, http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01443330810862188. Go to original source...
    5. Brinn Hyatt, S., Shear, B. W., Wright, S. (eds.). 2015. Learning under Neoliberalism: Ethnographies of Governance in Higher Education. Oxford: Berghahns.
    6. Beynon, H. 2016. 'The Rise of the Corporate University in the UK.' Global Dialogue (GD), Vol. 6, No. 3: 18-21.
    7. Boas, T.C., Gans-Morse, J., 2009. 'Neoliberalism: From New Liberal Philosophy to Antiliberal Slogan.' Studies in Comparative International Development, Vol. 44, No. 2: 137-161, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12116-009-9040-5. Go to original source...
    8. Boutang, Y. M. 2011. Cognitive Capitalism. London: Polity.
    9. Brown, W. 2006. 'American Nightmare: Neoliberalism, Neoconservatism, and Dedemocratization.' Political Theory, Vol. 34, No. 6: 690-714, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0090591706293016. Go to original source...
    10. Campbell, B. 2014. End of Equality. London: Seagull.
    11. Chandler, D., Reid, J. 2016. The Neoliberal Subject: Resilience, Adaptation and Vulnerability. London: Rowman & Littlefield. Go to original source...
    12. Collier, R. 1998. '"Nutty Professors", "Men in Suits" and "New Entrepreneurs": Corporeality, Subjectivity and Change in the Law School and Legal Practice.' Social and Legal Studies, Vol. 7, No. 1: 27-53. Go to original source...
    13. Clegg, S., Dunkerley, D. 1980. Organizations, Class and Control. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
    14. Connell, R. 2014. 'Margin Becoming Centre: For a World-centred Rethinking of Masculinities.' NORMA: International Journal for Masculinity Studies, Vol. 9, No. 4: 217- 231, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/18902138.2014.934078. Go to original source...
    15. Davies, B., Bansel, P. 2007. 'Neoliberalism and Education.' International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, Vol. 20, No. 3: 247-259, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09518390701281751. Go to original source...
    16. Davies, C., Holloway, P. 1995. 'Troubling Transformations: Gender Regimes and Organizational Culture in the Academy.' Pp. 7-21 in Morley, L., Walsh W. (eds.) Feminist Academics: Creative Agents for Change. London: Taylor and Francis.
    17. de Groot, J. 1997. 'After the Ivory Tower: Gender, Commodification and the "Academic".' Feminist Review, No. 55 (Spring): 130-142. Go to original source...
    18. Duggan, L. 2004. The Twilight of Equality?: Neoliberalism, Cultural Politics and the Attack on Democracy. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
    19. Esping-Anderson, G. 1990. The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism. Cambridge: Polity Press.
    20. Flew, T. 2014. 'Six Theories of Neoliberalism.' Thesis Eleven, Vol. 122, No. 1: 49-71. Go to original source...
    21. Forstorp, P.-A., Mellström, U. 2013. 'Eduscapes: Interpreting Transnational Flows of Higher Education.' Globalization, Societies and Education, Vol. 11, No. 3: 335-358, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2013.807039. Go to original source...
    22. Gender and Excellence in the Making. 2004. Luxembourg: Directorate-General for Research, Science and Society, European Commission, EUR 21222.
    23. Hanlon, N. 2012. Masculinities, Care and Equality: Identity and Nurture in Men's Lives. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
    24. Hay, C. 1999. The Political Economy of New Labour. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
    25. Hay, C. 2004. 'The Normalizing Role of Rationalist Assumptions in the Institutional Embedding of Neoliberalism.' Economy and Society, Vol. 33, No. 4: 500-527, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0308514042000285260. Go to original source...
    26. Hearn, J. 1999. 'Men, Managers and Management: The Case of Higher Education.' Pp. 123-144 in Whitehead S., Moodley R. (eds.) Transforming Managers: Engendering Change in the Public Sector. London: Taylor and Francis.
    27. Hearn, J. 2001. 'Academia, Management and Men: Making the Connections, Exploring the Implications.' Pp. 69-89 in Brooks A., Mackinnon A. (eds.) Gender and the Restructured University: Changing Management and Culture in Higher Education. Buckingham: Open University Press.
    28. Hearn, J. 2002. 'Nation, State and Welfare: The Cases of Finland and the UK.' Pp. 85-102 in Pease, B., Pringle K. (eds.) A Man's World: Changing Men's Practices in a Globalized World. London: Zed.
    29. Hearn, J. 2004a. 'Organization Violations in Practice: A Case Study in a University Setting.' Culture and Organization, Vol. 9, No. 4: 253-273, https://doi.org/10.1080/1475955042000195436. Go to original source...
    30. Hearn, J. 2004b. 'Personal Resistance through Persistence to Organizational Resistance through Distance.' Pp. 40-63 in Thomas, R., Mills, A. J., Helms Mills, J. (eds.) Identity Politics at Work: Resisting Gender, Gendering Resistance. London: Routledge. Go to original source...
    31. Hearn, J. 2014. 'On Men, Organizations and Intersectionality: Personal, Working, Political and Theoretical Reflections (or How Organization Studies Met Profeminism).' Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, Vol. 33, No. 5: 414-428, http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/EDI-07-2013-0051. Go to original source...
    32. Hearn, J. 2015a. Men of the World: Genders, Globalizations, Transnational Times. London: Sage. Go to original source...
    33. Hearn, J. 2015b. 'Transnational Reflections on Transnational Research Projects on Men, Boys and Gender Relations.' NORMA: The International Journal for Masculinity Studies, Vol. 10, No. 2: 86-104, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/18902138.2015.1050858. Go to original source...
    34. Holborow, M. 2013. 'Applied Linguistics in the Neoliberal University: Ideological Keywords and Social Agency.' Applied Linguistics Review, Vol. 4, No. 2: 229-257, http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2015-0012. Go to original source...
    35. Holborow, M. 2015. Language and Neoliberalism. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
    36. Hountondji, P. J. 1997. 'Introduction: Recentring Africa.' Pp. 1-39 in Hountondji, P. J. (ed.) Endogenous Knowledge: Research Trails. Dakar: CODESRIA.
    37. Husu, L. 2001. Sexism, Support and Survival in Academia: Academic Women and Hidden Discrimination in Finland. Social Psychological Studies 6. Helsinki: University of Helsinki.
    38. Kinman, G., Wray, S. 2013. Higher Stress: A Survey of Stress and Well-being among Staff in Higher Education. [online] London: UCU [cit. 4/6/2017]. Available from: https://www.ucu.org.uk/media/5911/Higher-stress-a-survey-of-stress-and-well-being-among-staff-inhigher-education-Jul-13/pdf/HE_stress_report_July_2013.pdf.
    39. Kogan, M., Kogan, D. 1983. The Attack on Higher Education. London: Kogan Page.
    40. Lapidot-Lefler, N., Barak, A. 2012. 'Effects of Anonymity, Invisibility, and Lack of EyeContact on Toxic Online Disinhibition.' Computers in Human Behavior, Vol. 28, No. 2: 434-443, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2011.10.014. Go to original source...
    41. Larner, W. 2000. 'Neo-liberalism, Policy, Ideology, Governmentality.' Studies in Political Economy, Vol. 63: 5-25. Go to original source...
    42. Ledin, P., Machin, D. 2016. 'Management Discourse in University Administrative Documents in Sweden: How It Recontextualizes and Fragments Scholarly Practices and Work Processes.' Pragmatics: Quarterly Publication of the International Pragmatics Association, Vol. 26, No. 4: 653-657. Go to original source...
    43. Lundin, R. 1995. 'Editorial: Temporary Organizations and Project Management.' Scandinavian Journal of Management, Vol. 11, No. 4: 315-318. Go to original source...
    44. Lundin, R., Steinthórsson, R. S. 2003. 'Studying Organizations as Temporary.' Scandinavian Journal of Management, Vol. 19, No. 2: 233-250. Go to original source...
    45. Macdonald, S., Kam, J. 2007a. 'Aardvark et al.: Quality Journals and Gamesmanship in Management Studies.' Journal of Information Science, Vol. 33, No. 6: 702-717, https://doi.org/10.1177/0165551507077419. Go to original source...
    46. Macdonald, S., Kam, J. 2007b. 'Ring a Ring O' Roses: Quality Journals and Gamesmanship in Management Studies.' Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 44, No. 4: 640-655, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2007.00704.x. Go to original source...
    47. Macdonald, S., Kam, J. 2009. 'Publishing in Top Journals - A Never-ending Fad.'
    48. Scandinavian Journal of Management, Vol. 25, No. 2: 221-224, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scaman.2009.03.009.
    49. Macdonald, S., Kam, J. 2010. 'Counting Footnotes: Citability in Management Studies.' Scandinavian Journal of Management, Vol. 26, No. 2: 189-203, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scaman.2010.01.003. Go to original source...
    50. Magna Charta Universitatum. 1988/2016. [online] [cit. 15/6/2017] Bologna: Observatory of the Magna Charta. Available from: http://www.magna-charta.org/magna-chartauniversitatum. 'Making History: The Changing Face of the Profession.' n.d. [online] [cit. 15/6/2017] London: Institute of Historical Research. Available from: http://www.history.ac.uk/makinghistory/themes/research_assessment.html.
    51. Miller, N., Morgan, D. 1993. 'Called to Account: The CV as an Autobiographical Practice.' Sociology, Vol. 27, No. 1: 133-143, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/003803859302700113. Go to original source...
    52. Mountz, A., et al. 2015. 'For Slow Scholarship: A Feminist Politics of Resistance through Collective Action in the Neoliberal University.' ACME: An International E-Journal for Critical Geographies, Vol. 14, No. 4: 1235-1259.
    53. Phoenix, A. 2004. 'Neoliberalism and Masculinity: Racialization and the Contradictions of Schooling for 11- to 14-Year-Olds.' Youth and Society, Vol. 36, No. 2: 227-246, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0044118X04268377. Go to original source...
    54. Popay, J., Hearn, J., Edwards, J. (eds.) 1998. Men, Gender Divisions and Welfare. London: Routledge.
    55. Poster, M. 1990. The Mode of Information: Poststructuralism and Social Contexts. Cambridge: Polity.
    56. Ramírez, A., Hyslop-Margison, E. 2015. 'Neoliberalism, Universities and the Discourse of Crisis.' [online] L2 Journal, Vol. 7, No. 3. [cit. 3/6/2017] Available from: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/2gx093rz. Go to original source...
    57. She Figures: Gender in Research and Innovation. 2013. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
    58. Smith, D. E. 1990. The Conceptual Practices of Power: A Feminist Sociology of Knowledge. Boston, MA: Northwestern University Press.
    59. Strathern, M. 2003. Audit Cultures: Anthropological Studies in Accountability, Ethics and the Academy. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
    60. Tarrach, R. 2011. 'An Innovative Appraisal of a CV.' Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, Vol. 36, No. 2: 125-132. Go to original source...
    61. Times Higher Education. 2016. 'THE University Workplace Survey 2016: Results and Analysis 2016.' [online] [cit. 15/6/2017] Available from: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/university-workplace-survey-2016-results-and-analysis.
    62. Thorsen, D. E. 2010. 'The Neoliberal Challenge. What Is Neoliberalism?' Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice, Vol. 2, No. 2: 188-214.
    63. Walkerdine, V., Lucey, H., Melody, J. 2001. Growing Up Girl: Psychosocial Explorations of Gender and Class. London: Palgrave. Go to original source...
    64. Williams, F., Popay, J., Oakley, A. (eds.). 1999. Welfare Research: A Critical Review. London: UCL Press.
    65. Zuboff, S. 2015. 'Big Other: Surveillance Capitalism and the Prospects of an Information Civilization.' Journal of Information Technology, Vol. 30, No. 1: 75-89, https://doi.org/10.1057/jit.2015.5. Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content