“That’s just how it is”: Neoliberal Subjectification and Teacher Agency Within One Australian High School

Abstract

This paper explores the ways in which neoliberal discourses of cost-saving/profit-making, productivity/efficiency, and individualism informed the practice of Lachlan, the head of music in an Australian secondary school. In contrast to existing literature dominantly exploring how music programs are disadvantaged within educational systems informed by neoliberalism, this paper highlights how Lachlan directly appealed to neoliberal discourses in an attempt to advantage his music program. This paper asks if his reinforcement of neoliberal discourse serves as an example of teacher agency, and/or reflects neoliberal subjectivity.

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