From Diversity to Decolonization - Multicultural Education in the Neoliberal University

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Claims about the prevalence of eurocentrism in the social sciences are increasingly discussed in the public realm. Those involved in campaigns such as the recent 'Rhodes Must Fall' movement argue that university curricula unjustifiably privilege knowledge produced in the 'West', and that what is taught at universities serves to reproduce gendered and racialized social hierarchies. Higher Education, they claim, is therefore in need of decolonization.Somewhat paradoxically, these efforts to decolonize HE are parallelled by UK universities' widespread attempts to guarantee equality of opportunity for students and staff, and to encourage diversity in teaching faculty, student body and curriculum. Such institutional moves towards increasing diversity are, however, taking place in a context of larger restructurings of HE; critical educational scholars argue that neoliberal university governance is accompanied by a devaluation of humanities and social science subjects, and of critical knowledge which cannot easily be aligned with market goals.