Cracked Continuities in the Project of Cultural Democracy: Silencing, Resistance and Privilege

Abstract

Openings toward participatory education and governance during the 1970s reflected social change that pushed toward greater equality on many fronts. These openings were rapidly shut down in the neoliberalisation of universities, enforced internally through managerialism that has stratified academic positions and largely replaced democratic workplace processes with radical individualism and privatised accountability. In this chapter we reflect on the resistances articulated by our contributors and highlight cracked continuities with the projects of cultural democracy. We also argue that it is necessary to consider the interrelated workings of silencing, privilege and resistance under managerial regimes. Working through hierarchical structures and horizontally, as technologies of responsibilisation, silencing and privilege enmesh passion, position and politics through which resistance is formed and enacted.