Governing the Self: A Foucauldian Critique of Managerialism in Education

Governing the Self is about the constitution of the self. Through self-constitution, the subject is implicated in its own governance within a discourse that is increasingly shaped by neoliberal economic theory. Managerialism has become the modern mode of discipline for self production – an inadequate model for education in that the subject of managerialism, homo economicus, cannot adequately account for the ‘other’ in the educational relation. Michel Foucault’s notion of governmentality is used to unravel the problematic connection between education and economics in the production of human capital. This book does not reject managerialism outright, calling instead for its disciplinary force to be delimited and some attention paid to the ‘other’ in the pedagogic relationship.

About the Author :
Patrick Fitzsimons has been engaged in education since his days as a young teacher in New Zealand. A pioneer at his craft, he explores the new, queries convention, and challenges authority. His doctoral research focused on the work of Michel Foucault in relation to education, an interest that he developed through his short but intense academic career. With a long list of publications and professional affiliations, his last appointment was at James Cook University.

Review :
"In 'Governing the Self', Patrick Fitzsimons lays bare the intellectual and human shortcomings of human capital theory and managerialism. Delighting in the contradictions of ideas which both demand the independence of individuals and at the same time constrain them to an extent never known before, Fitzsimons exposes the powerful ways in which managerialism changes the ways we think and act, in accordance with a rationality which is itself irrational, but seldom questioned. He has a masterly control over the complexity of the ideas he explains and a vivid understanding of the way they work in the lived world." (Nesta Devine, Associate Professor, AUT University, Auckland) "Patrick Fitzsimons presents a masterly grasp of Foucault's historical method in order to understand the effects of managerialism on education since the later part of the twentieth century. This book demonstrates poignantly how neoliberal managerialism undermines the public purposes of education. It constitutes an invaluable resource for those working with Foucault's ideas in education and also for those seeking to understand how education has been transformed by the neoliberal agenda. A rich book, warmly to be welcomed." (Mark Olssen, AcSS, Professor of Political Theory and Education Policy, Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences, University of Surrey, United Kingdom) "This book provides an insightful reading of Foucault and a thoughtful critique of managerialism in education. 'Governing the Self' raises questions of ongoing significance for all educationists in a neoliberal, globalised world." (Peter Roberts, Professor of Education, University of Canterbury, New Zealand)