Abstract
The debate regarding the ability of co-operativism to challenge the consequences of neoliberal policy reform in UK schooling remains concerned with the organisation and policy of co-operative academies. This article follows school research which applies a Foucauldian approach to power to explore and identify violently unequal consequences of neoliberal reform. In considering the interaction of co-operativism and neoliberalism in the experience of students at a Co-operative Academies Trust school, through semi-structured interviews with vignettes, it shows co-operativism being exploited to shape neoliberal governmentality. Whilst participants draw on their co-operative schooling to challenge notions of meritocracy and success, co-operativism is ultimately instrumental in the infliction of symbolic violence, as students self-govern towards racialised, classed and gendered ideals. Applying a Foucauldian lens and centring the experience of students are thus vital to the evaluation of co-operativism in schooling.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Funding
The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.