A psychosocial approach to neoliberalism, social exclusion and education

Abstract

The effects of neoliberal practices have spread like a wave through Brazil.In Brazilian schools, they have materialized in a variety of forms. I will specifically address the policy that restricts options for keeping back students with learning difficulties. When students with severe learning difficulties are automatically promoted, the truth of their experience goes unrecognized and the institution communicates that they are responsible for their own suffering. I argue that this project is full of contempt for those with learning difficulties and that when the school fails to do its job, social exclusion is not only accepted but also reproduced.

Some psychic effects of neoliberalism: Narcissism, disavowal, perversion

“…In many poor inner-city neighborhoods, very high percentages of students have witnessed or experienced violence. Poverty and violence can severely damage the capacity to learn (Archangelo, 2010(Archangelo, , 2014. What all children need, my friends asserted, is a safe environment that fosters creativity and a capacity to think.…”

“…Among privileged liberals, on the other hand, a more prevalent response over time has been withdrawal from a commitment to sustaining public life (for examples, see contributions to the special section on the psychic effects of neoliberalism in PCS 19(1), 2014: Adams, 2014;Archangelo, 2014;Glynos, 2014a;Samuels, 2014;Lesser, 2014;Roseneil, 2014). The withdrawal has many determinants, including (1) disappointment, as purportedly progressive leaders seem, post-election, to turn center if not center-right; (2) a growing sense, as traditional sources of solidarity erode and as risk shifts from the public to the private sphere, that every man is for himself; and (3) the fact that those at or near the top have done extraordinarily well economically.…”

Lack of Understanding and the Desire for Re-Cognition

“…It has also increased segregation among students and, thus, stronger social reproduction. Needless to say, this has affected students' approaches and strategies aimed at overcoming lack of understanding (Archangelo, 2014). 8 As a result, acquiring curricular knowledge, which is the possession of the teacher, has become increasingly important for students.…”

“…The search for correct answers has been accentuated by resultsbased management and demands for profitability in the education system, which has not only lost its ability to contain students' frustration and fatigue (Archangelo 2014) but has also displaced teacher autonomy, leaving little space to wade into uncertainty, take detours, or engage in personal reflections (Allelin, 2020). Today, many students suffer from anxiety and stress (Swedish National Agency for Education, 2016).…”

Editor’s introduction to special section on the psychosocial effects of neoliberalism, part II

“…Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society 19/1 featured several short papers on the psychic effects of neoliberalism (Adams, 2014;Archangelo, 2014;Glynos, 2014;Lesser, 2014;Roseneil, 2014;Samuels, 2014). In this issue, we continue the conversation with two papers focused specifically on psychoanalytic views of neoliberalism, four short papers that take up the effects of a key ideological support/effect of neoliberalism, the hatred of "big government," and a field note that describes effects of neoliberal governance on UK mental health workers.…”