Neoliberalism as a paradigm can be defined as the political economic framework of ideas of the current times which advocates for, privatization of state-owned enterprises, deregulation, "free markets" and supporting of political individualism. As members of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization, and due to their economic dependence on the Western world, developing countries have been obligated to implement the neoliberal paradigm within their domestic terrain. Most African peoples are poor, live in dire conditions and are unable to function in a neoliberal context, as they are excluded from economic participation in their countries, due to a lack of resources, income, and a lack of skills and qualifications to participate in the market or in the neoliberal model as a whole. The tendency of the neoliberal paradigm to extend its hand to non-market forces such as in the provisioning of education, has led to the education service being inaccessible to those who need it the most.
The paper seeks to find ways in which the influence of the neoliberal paradigm could be minimised on a sectoral level, focusing on the education sector. This research paper utilizes the Qualitative research approach as it studies a complex phenomenon and concepts. It is a ‘Desk-top study’ which focuses on ‘document analyses’. It is exploratory, and utilizes the case study design, to explore the education sector of two African countries, namely: South Africa and Rwanda. It explores international laws, conventions, government documents, reports, journals, articles and other documentation to examine the phenomenon. It seeks to determine the extent and success behind the phenomena of government intervention in the education sector of these two countries in their resistance of the influence of the neoliberal paradigm in their education sector, to determine the possibility of African countries in minimising the influence of the neoliberal paradigm on a sectoral level. It sources data from the internet, library and bookstores and its data types are: past and present literature, in particular: secondary data (books and journals) and other publications.
The argument that the paper posits is that: although it may be impossible for the African continent to delink from the entire International Financial System; it is possible for the African continent to minimise the influence of the neoliberal paradigm on a sectoral level.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Education under the neoliberal paradigm
1.2 The research design
1.3 The Case Study Methodology
1.4 Introduction of the Paper’s Theoretical Framework
1.5 Summary and Outline of the Paper’s Content
Chapter 2: The theoretical framework
2.1 Defining a Theoretical Framework
2.2 Arguments Posited by The Decolonial Theory
2.3 An Analysis of the Elements of Decoloniality and its Origins
2.4 Intellectual Underpinnings of the Decolonial Theory by Third World Scholars
2.5 Interpreting Decoloniality in Relation to the Phenomenon Under Investigation
Chapter 3: Research Design
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The Chosen Type of Research Design
3.3 Statement of the Research Problem
3.4 Research Question
3.5 Research Aim
3.6 Research Objectives
3.7 Data Collection Methods
Chapter 4: Literature Review
4.1 Defining a Literature Review
4.2 Purposes of a Literature Review
4.3 The Concept of Neoliberalism: its Global Reach and Fundamental Tenets
4.4 The Neo-Liberal Education System
Chapter 5: The adoption and consequences of the neoliberal model of education in Africa
Chapter 6: The case studies of South Africa and Rwanda
6.1 The South African Case
6.1.1a The Effectiveness and Limitations of International Laws Obliging South Africa to Provide free education
6.1.1b South Africa’s National Law Regarding its Provision of Free Education
6.1.2 Neoliberalism in South Africa’s Education
6.1.3 Student Protests for Fee Free Education Under the Banner #FeesMustFall
6.1.4 Arguments for Free Education in South Africa
6.1.5 Arguments against Free Education in South Africa
6.2. The Rwandan case
6.2.1 Rwanda’s Progress Regarding the Provision of Free Education
6.2.2 Case Study Comparison
Chapter 7: Discussion of findings (Data analysis and Interpretation)
7.1 Education as a public good vs education as a private good
7.2 Decolonial Arguments for the Minimisation of the Neoliberal Influence in Education
7.3 Implications of Minimising the Neoliberal Influence in African Countries
7.4 Alternative African paradigms
7.5 Chapter concluding remarks
Chapter 8: Solutions and recommendations
8.1 The formulation of endogenous egalitarian policies
8.2 The importance of public participation in policy-making
8.3 African economic and political integration
8.4 Domestic policy network over Western intervention
Chapter 9: Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
The primary research aim is to investigate the potential and feasibility for African countries to delink from the prevailing neoliberal paradigm by examining the possibility of minimizing its influence within the education sector.
- Neoliberalism's impact on African education systems
- Decolonial theory as an analytical lens
- Comparative case studies of South Africa and Rwanda
- Alternative African paradigms (e.g., Ubuntu, African Renaissance)
- Strategies for endogenous policy-making
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 Education under the neoliberal paradigm
The education service has been traditionally deemed and treated as a public good (Liven 1987: 628). In the neoliberal era, education has turned into a private good, through commodifying it and making it obtainable through being purchased, therefore putting a price on it (Brackmann 2015: 116). This has made education unavailable to the majority of the African poor peoples who do not have any source of income (Almeida & Levin 2017). The neoliberal education further excluded those without any skills, training and experience to be attractive to the market for employment opportunities, and to those who are born in circumstances not of their choosing (Almeida & Levin 2017).
By examining the extended hand of the market, the neoliberal paradigm has been criticised by its scholars to be embedding itself on non-market forces (Thorsen & Lie 2010: 2). For example, the financial exclusionary access to goods and services that are mandatory to be accessed by the public at large; making them available only to those who are economically active (Thorsen & Lie 2010: 2).
In this sectoral narrowed down approach of viewing the implications of the neoliberal paradigm; the paper stresses on the existence of the urgent need for a bottom-up approach at reducing the influence of the neoliberal paradigm on a sectoral level.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1: Introduction: This chapter introduces the core problem, the neoliberal paradigm's influence in Africa, and the researcher's rationale for focusing on the education sector.
Chapter 2: The theoretical framework: This chapter defines the decoloniality theory as the primary analytical lens used to critique Western-centric dominance in African political and economic life.
Chapter 3: Research Design: This chapter details the qualitative, exploratory, and desktop-based research methodology employed to investigate the phenomenon.
Chapter 4: Literature Review: This chapter provides an academic overview of neoliberalism, its global reach, and its detrimental effects on the commodification of public services like education.
Chapter 5: The adoption and consequences of the neoliberal model of education in Africa: This chapter analyzes how neoliberal reforms have marginalized poor populations in African higher education institutions.
Chapter 6: The case studies of South Africa and Rwanda: This chapter examines how these two specific nations have attempted to challenge neoliberal educational provision through state initiatives and social movements.
Chapter 7: Discussion of findings (Data analysis and Interpretation): This chapter synthesizes the research data to contrast the perception of education as a public versus private good and explores alternative African paradigms.
Chapter 8: Solutions and recommendations: This chapter proposes policy shifts toward egalitarianism, public participation, and stronger regional integration as counters to neoliberal intervention.
Chapter 9: Conclusion: This chapter summarizes the paper's findings and reinforces the argument for localized, non-neoliberal educational and developmental paradigms.
Keywords
Neoliberalism, Decoloniality, Africa, Higher Education, Education as a public good, Afrocentricity, Pan-Africanism, Ubuntu, South Africa, Rwanda, Policy-making, Economic development, Structural adjustment, Privatisation, Social Justice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this dissertation?
This work examines the dominance of the neoliberal paradigm in Africa and explores whether it is possible for African nations to delink from this ideology, specifically by focusing on the education sector.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include the critique of neoliberal hegemony, the role of education as a public versus private good, the importance of local agency in policy formulation, and the potential of indigenous African paradigms to offer alternative development models.
What is the central research question?
The research asks how African countries can delink from the neoliberal paradigm embedded in their economic policies by exploring the possibility of minimizing its influence on a sectoral level, particularly in education.
Which methodology does the author utilize?
The study employs a qualitative research design, specifically a desktop study using document analysis, and utilizes decolonial theory as a theoretical framework.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The body covers the history and theory of neoliberalism, its institutional enforcement in Africa, a detailed literature review, and comparative case studies on the state of free education in South Africa and Rwanda.
Which keywords best describe the work?
The study is characterized by terms such as Neoliberalism, Decoloniality, Education as a public good, African Renaissance, Ubuntu, and South Africa/Rwanda case studies.
How does the author propose that Rwanda and South Africa address neoliberalism in education?
The author highlights their attempts to provide fee-free education to the marginalized as a form of resistance, though noting that they still face significant hurdles from international financial institution conditionalities.
What are the suggested alternative African paradigms?
The paper identifies Afrocentricity, Pan-Africanism, the African Renaissance, and the philosophy of Ubuntu as alternative, non-economic or human-centered paradigms that can be reconfigured to guide policy.
What is the final conclusion of the researcher?
The researcher concludes that while complete delinking from the global economic system may be difficult due to interdependence, minimizing neoliberal influence through endogenous policy, public participation, and egalitarian approaches is both possible and necessary.
- Quote paper
- Jacob Mahlangu (Author), 2019, Going it all alone. Africa's potential for delinking from the neoliberal paradigm, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/539781
