Neoliberal fascism and the commodification of North American universities: repression of academic freedom and student resistance movements
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5212/PraxEduc.v.20.24156.001Abstract
This article analyzes the impact of growing authoritarianism on universities and the role of student dissent in a global context of educational commodification and repression of academic freedom. Starting from the concept of “neoliberal fascism,” it examines how far-right governments, billionaires, and corporate elites are attacking the critical functions of universities, reducing them to mere centers of conformity and intellectual repression. Using examples of student protests on college campuses in the United States, such as demonstrations against Israeli violence in Gaza, the text discusses how violent repression and the criminalization of dissent are used to silence movements that question the hegemonic order. In particular, it explores the impact of authoritarian discourse in politics to justify state violence against students who denounce the occupation and Palestinian genocide. Furthermore, the text argues that this attack on academic freedom and critical thinking is part of a broader strategy to shape universities into a pedagogy of obedience, aligned with neoliberal and fascist interests. The conclusion is that student resistance and the political education of teachers and students are essential elements to challenge the commodification of universities and preserve their role as spaces for free and emancipatory thought.
Keywords: Student movements. Academic freedom. Neoliberalism. Public university.
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