Individual Autonomy or Social Engagement? Adult Learners in Neoliberal Times - Study Notes

Article Information

  • Journal: Adult Education Quarterly

  • Volume: 65(3)

  • Pages: 196–214

  • Year: 2015

  • Authors: Scott McLean

  • DOI: 10.1177/0741713615573984

  • Corresponding Author Affiliation: University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Abstract

  • Numerous scholars critique the predominance of neoliberal policies affecting adult education globally.

  • Neoliberal citizens are often characterized by hyperindividuality and a strong sense of personal autonomy.

  • Self-help reading exemplifies a neoliberal approach to adult learning.

  • The article challenges assumptions about the autonomy of neoliberal individuals based on qualitative research with 134 self-help book readers.

  • The findings indicate complex patterns of subjectivity that include social engagement alongside individual autonomy.

  • The results are significant for understanding the evolving nature of adult learners and the interplay between discourse and subjectivity in adult education.

Keywords

  • neoliberalism

  • individual autonomy

  • social engagement

  • self-help books

Introduction to Adult Education in Neoliberal Times

  • Scholars have raised concerns over increasing dominance of neoliberal policies in adult education worldwide.

  • Neoliberalism is discussed in the context of various countries:

    • Australia

    • Bolivia

    • Botswana

    • Canada

    • China

    • England

    • Ireland

    • Japan

    • New Zealand

    • South Africa

    • United States

  • Common characteristics of neoliberal policies:

    • Focus on individuals over collectivities

    • Market forces preference over government intervention

    • Promotion of deregulation and privatization

    • Erosion of unions

    • Reduction in taxation and public spending

    • Ideological support for capitalism and globalization

  • Neoliberal forms of subjectivity differ from those of earlier eras:

    • Giddens: Increasing reflexivity of human identities

    • Beck: Personal autonomy and responsibility as cultural hallmarks

    • Rose: Construction of individuals responsible for shaping their own lives through actions and choices

  • There’s uncertainty whether individuals genuinely internalize neoliberal subjectivities amidst the discourse prevalence.

Literature Review and Conceptual Framework

  • Adult educational practices can both presuppose and reproduce specific human subjectivities.

  • Notable theorists discuss individuality's historical and cultural specificity:

    • Geertz describes western individuality as unique yet strange compared to other cultures.

    • Foucault underscores the socially constructed nature of individual autonomy.

    • Jameson critiques the bourgeois individual as a modern fiction without a historical basis.

  • Elias illustrates individualization as a social evolution influenced by social relationships and discourses.

Neoliberal Subjectivity in Adult Education

  • Adult educators must understand historical construction and current reproduction of individualized patterns of subjectivity linked to neoliberal societies.

  • Scholars identify typical characteristics of neoliberal subjects: individualism, competitiveness, marketplace-orientation, and flexible responsibility ethos.

  • Self-help reading has been highlighted as a prevalent neoliberal learning form.

  • Self-help literature often promotes hyper-individuality and detachment from social engagement.

  • The critiques also suggest that self-help texts encourage individualism at the expense of social responsibility and community ties.

Research Method and Participants

  • Research conducted in 2012 involved 134 interviews focusing on motivations, learning goals, and outcomes related to self-help books.

  • Participants included Canadians, Americans, and British individuals.

  • Gender differences were apparent, with women more engaged in health and relationship books, and men more in career-related readings.

  • The study aimed to investigate the subjectivities of adult learners who read self-help books and analyzed self-characterizations reflecting autonomy and social engagement.

Readers' Self-Characterizations

  • Responses revealed diverse patterns of autonomy versus social engagement among readers.

  • Some interviewees confirmed a neoliberal identity emphasizing independence and resilience.

  • More responded with narratives focusing on social connections and support systems, challenging the neoliberal subjectivity assumption.

  • Gender differences indicated women tended toward social engagement narratives while men often highlighted personal success and autonomy.

Conclusions

  • The article makes four significant contributions:

    1. Contextualizes concerns about neoliberalism in broader social theories.

    2. Uses case studies to reveal the complex subjectivities of self-help book readers, contrasting neoliberal assumptions.

    3. Employs innovative narrative methods to assess subjectivity in learning contexts.

    4. Calls for broader reflections on the complexity of adult learners' identities and the impact of neoliberal discourse.

Implications for Adult Education

  • Findings suggest that adult learners experience a blend of individual autonomy and social engagement, countering simplistic depictions of neoliberal subjects.

  • Highlight the need for adult education practices to foster social engagement rather than merely promoting individual autonomy.

Acknowledgments

  • Thanks to University of Calgary graduate students for research support.

Competing Interests

  • No conflicts of interest were declared by the author.

Funding

  • Supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (award number 410-2011-0324).

References

  • A thorough list of cited works within the article and related academic literature to substantiate claims and research findings.