Theorizing Resistance: Teacher Resistance to Neoliberalism in Canada and the United States

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 73
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Knowledge, Teacher Labor, and Teacher Resistance in Neoliberal Times

Abstract

Although the specific nature of neoliberalism’s influence varies by region, teachers typically respond in ways that range from acquiescence to active resistance. This paper is concerned with one end of this spectrum—the manner in which teachers engage in and animate active resistance to neoliberal policy and discourse. With attention to the Alberta, Ontario, California, Illinois and Pennsylvania contexts, this paper presents a cross-case analysis to identify trends in teachers’ active resistance to neoliberalism. We examine the nature of North American teacher resistance within three domains—classrooms, teacher unions, and teacher activist groups. Through presenting portraits of teacher resistance, we build a foundation for conceptualizing teachers’ active resistance to neoliberal policy and ideological forces in North American public education broadly.

Authors

• Rhiannon M. Maton, SUNY - College at Cortland

• Arlo Kempf, University of Toronto, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education