The Neoliberal University and Global Immobilities of Theory

Abstract

Neoliberal globalization is reinforcing geographically based forms of domination that emerged in the era of imperialism, reinforcing divides between metropolitan centres of power and marginalized groups and societies on the global periphery. This is also true of academic analysis and theory production. The transnational neoliberal regime of so-called academic quality assessment is entrenching Euro-American intellectual dominance and Euro-Amerocentric forms of thinking, creating a global division of academic labour between an ostensibly theoretical ‘West’ and an empirical ‘Rest’. More than merely theoretical responses are needed to challenge the regime of power over twenty-first century knowledge production. New forms of academic activism must be developed to challenge the extra-epistemological barriers that obstruct the emergence of a level playing field in the world academy.